lottery Definition
lot·tery (lät′ər ē)
noun pl. -·ter·ies
- a game of chance in which people buy numbered tickets, and prizes are given to those whose numbers are drawn by lot: sometimes sponsored by a state or organization as a means of raising funds
- any undertaking that involves chance selections, as by the drawing of lots military draft lottery
Etymology: MFr loterie < MDu loterije < lot, lot
lottery Usage Examples
Converse of subject
allocate: They looked at charter schools in Chicago, where school places are allocated by lottery when a school is over-subscribed.
Converse of object
- win: The chances of an MP winning the lottery for the first question is once every six years.
- promote: We report additional ways we have helped to promote the lottery 's impact in Celebrating the lottery's impact.
Adjective modifier
- unlawful: Whether or not a particular scheme constitutes an unlawful lottery is a matter which only a court can define authoritatively.
- national: NOTES 1. Canada does not have a state backed national lottery.
- fair: From today Brits can take part in a fairer weekly lottery.
- Canadian: The OFT campaign The OFT is launching a campaign to make people aware of the ' Canadian lottery ' scam.
- weekly: There is also likely to be a weekly lottery.
- Irish: With up to £ 100 bonus on your first bet play Irish lottery and 49s at Betfred now.
Modifies a noun
- distributor: Awards for All Awards for All is a lottery grants distributor aimed at local community projects.
- jackpot: The probability of winning the lottery jackpot with a given ticket is approximately 1 in 14,000,000.
- ticket: Five pounds a week for lottery tickets worth £ 2?
- scam: There are many lottery scams in circulation from all over the world.
- syndicate: Euro lotto Play the National Lotto and Euro Millions EuroMillions Euro lottery Euro lotto in a lottery syndicate from anywhere in the world.
- funding: Lottery funding has produced a building which meets these aims.
Noun used with modifier
- postcode: There is no NHS postcode lottery with the gospel.
- post-code: For example, members of all political parties rail against the so-called ' post-code lottery ' in the NHS.
- euromillions: At the same time, the man who was behind Ms McNamara in the queue for EuroMillions lottery tickets spoke of his heartache.
- Monday: The monday lottery is regulated by the Gambling Commission and adheres to its code of practice.
- heritage: We have identified areas of Wales which have not received their fair share of heritage lottery grants.
Browse dictionary entries near lottery
- Lottie ›
- lotto ›
- lotus ›
- Lotus Domino ›
- lotus-eater ›
- lotus land ›
- lotus position ›
- Lou Gehrig's disease ›
- Louÿs ›
- louche ›

