Chance Definition

chăns

chanced, chances, chancing

noun

chances

The unknown and unpredictable element in happenings that seems to have no assignable cause.

American Heritage

The happening of events without apparent cause, or the apparent absence of cause or design; fortuity; luck.

To leave things to chance.

Webster's New World

An unpredictable event or accidental happening.

Webster's New World

A risk or gamble.

Webster's New World

A possibility or probability.

There is little chance of success; what are their chances of winning?

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

adjective

Caused by or ascribable to chance; unexpected, random, or casual.

A chance encounter; a chance result.

American Heritage

Happening by chance; accidental.

A chance encounter.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

chanced, chances, chancing

To have the fortune, good or bad.

I chanced to see them on my walk.

Webster's New World

To leave to chance; risk.

Let's chance it.

Webster's New World

To have the fortune (to be or do something); happen.

American Heritage

To happen by chance.

It chanced to snow the day we arrived.

Webster's New World

Used with the impersonal subject it and a following clause or infinitive to indicate the occurrence of a usually unexpected or chance event.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

pronoun

A male given name, an American pet form of Chauncey, in modern usage also associated with the word chance.

Wiktionary

idiom

by chance

Without plan; accidentally:
They met by chance on a plane.
Possibly; perchance:
Is he, by chance, her brother?

American Heritage

on the off chance

In the slight hope or possibility.

American Heritage

by chance

as it may happen; perchance
accidentally

Webster's New World

chance on

to find or meet by chance

Webster's New World

the chances are

the likelihood is
chances are she will visit today

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Chance

Noun

Singular:

chance

Plural:

chances

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Chance

by chance
on the off chance
by chance
chance on
the chances are
on the (off) chance
take one's chances

Origin of Chance

Middle English unexpected event from Old French from Vulgar Latin cadentia from Latin cadēns cadent- present participle of cadere to fall, befall kad- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Old French cheance (“accident, chance, luck”), from Vulgar Latin cadentia (“falling”), from Latin cadō (“I fall, I die”). See also cadence, from the same Latin root.

From Wiktionary