chance has definitions from the field of statistics
1
[ noun ] a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

Synonyms

opportunity

Examples

"the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington" "now is your chance"

Used in print

(Rocky Mountains News, [Denver, Colorado],...)

`` I'm just speculating , but I have_to think Jack feels he 's hurting Boston 's chances '' .

The crowd of 32589 had only two chances to applaud .

(Chicago Daily Tribune...)

Not a chance of opening here Nov. 28 - barring that miracle .

(The Providence Journal...)

The party at Floyd 's penthouse gave the `` chorines '' a chance for a nostalgic frolic through all those hackneyed routines which have become a classic choreographic statement of the era 's nonsense .

(Bonnie Prudden, "The Dancer and the Gymnast"...)

Eighty thousand won top honors and a chance to try_for the team itself .

2
[ noun ] an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

Synonyms

luck fortune hazard

Examples

"bad luck caused his downfall" "we ran into each other by pure chance"

Used in print

(The Sun, [Baltimore],...)

It was ruled a difficult chance and a hit .

(Harry H. Hull, "The Normal Forces and Their Ther...)

There is a well-known relationship between probability and entropy which states that * * f , where \q is the probability that state ( i.e. , volume for an ideal_gas ) could be reached by chance alone .

(Tristram Coffin, Not to the Swift....)

Boxell did not have the chance to grow_up graciously .

(Howard Fast, April Morning....)

The gun would fire or not , just as chance willed .

3
[ adjective ] occurring or appearing or singled out by chance

Synonyms

casual accidental

Examples

"their accidental meeting led to a renewal of their friendship" "seek help from casual passers-by" "a casual meeting" "a chance occurrence"

Used in print

(Brand Blanshard, "The Emotive Theory," Robert...)

Indeed we should say , on_the_contrary , that the accident of our later discovery made no difference whatever to the badness of the animal 's pain , that it would have been every whit as bad whether a chance passer-by happened later to discover the body and feel repugnance or not .

Related terms

unplanned

4
[ noun ] a risk involving danger

Examples

"you take a chance when you let her drive"

Used in print

(Douglas Ashford, "Elections in Morocco: Progress...)

To minimize the chances of repeating the Balafrej debacle the Ibrahim government was formed a titre personnel and a special office was created in the Ministry_of_the_Interior to plan and to conduct the elections .

(Jim Berry Pearson, The Maxwell Land Grant....)

When it became obvious that he could stay inside no_longer , taking a_thousand to one chance Gonzales rushed outside , square against the muzzle of a Winchester .

(Leon Uris, Mila 8....)

`` I ai n't taking no goddamned chances for no Jew business '' .

Related terms

risk gamble

5
[ noun ] (statistics) a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur

Synonyms

probability

Examples

"what is the probability of rain?" "we have a good chance of winning"

6
[ verb ] be the case by chance

Examples

"I chanced to meet my old friend in the street"

Used in print

(Selma Jeanne Cohen, "Avant-Garde Choreography"...)

An order can be chanced rather_than chosen , and this approach produces an experience that is `` free and discovered rather_than bound and remembered '' .

7
[ verb ] take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

Examples

"When you buy these stocks you are gambling"

Used in print

(Peter Field, Rattlesnake Ridge....)

Yet he must chance it .

8
[ noun ] Last name, frequency rank in the U.S. is 2290
9
[ noun ] Man's first name, popularity rank in the U.S. is 842
10
[ verb ] come upon, as if by accident; meet with

Examples

"We find this idea in Plato" "I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here" "She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day"

Related terms

discovery meeting

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