/t͡ʃɐːns/ [t͡ʃʰɐːns] Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
/t͡ʃæns/ [t͡ʃʰeːns] (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English chance, cheance, chaunce, cheaunce, a borrowing from Old French cheance (“accident, chance, luck”), from Vulgar Latin *cadentia (“falling”), from Latin cadere (“to fall, to die, to happen, occur”). Doublet of cadence and cadenza.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Happening by chance, casual.
Heaven knows what pains the author has been at, what bitter experiences he has endured and what heartache suffered, to give some chance reader a few hours' relaxation or to while away the tedium of a journey. 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter II, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:
No crowd was about the door; no people were discernible at any of the many windows; not even a chance passer-by was in the street. An unnatural silence and desertion reigned there. 1859, Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC:
hu véletlen (happening by chance) · sv oförutsedd (happening by chance) · sv händelsevis påträffad (happening by chance) · de zufällig (happening by chance) · la fortuītus (happening by chance) · ba осраҡлы (happening by chance) · sv opåräknad (happening by chance) · sv förlupen (happening by chance) · da tilfældigvis (happening by chance) · bg случаен (happening by chance) · hu kósza (happening by chance) · sv slumpartad (happening by chance) · sv tillfällig (happening by chance) · hu arra vetődött (happening by chance)
chance en · ADV · etymology 1
Pronunciation
[t͡ʃɑːns] (India)
/t͡ʃæns/ [t͡ʃʰeə̯ns] (Canada, US)
/t͡ʃäːns/ [t͡ʃʰäːns] Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
/t͡ʃɐːns/ [t͡ʃʰɐːns] Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
/t͡ʃæns/ [t͡ʃʰeːns] (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English chance, cheance, chaunce, cheaunce, a borrowing from Old French cheance (“accident, chance, luck”), from Vulgar Latin *cadentia (“falling”), from Latin cadere (“to fall, to die, to happen, occur”). Doublet of cadence and cadenza.
Meanings
(not-comparable, obsolete) Perchance; perhaps.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
chaunce
alternative, obsolete
lexicographic
chance en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
[t͡ʃɑːns] (India)
/t͡ʃæns/ [t͡ʃʰeə̯ns] (Canada, US)
/t͡ʃäːns/ [t͡ʃʰäːns] Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
/t͡ʃɐːns/ [t͡ʃʰɐːns] Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
/t͡ʃæns/ [t͡ʃʰeːns] (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English chance, cheance, chaunce, cheaunce, a borrowing from Old French cheance (“accident, chance, luck”), from Vulgar Latin *cadentia (“falling”), from Latin cadere (“to fall, to die, to happen, occur”). Doublet of cadence and cadenza.
Meanings
(countable) An opportunity or possibility.
It never even occurred to me in my fondest dreams that I might have the chance to help the sons and daughters of those students and to help people like them all over this country.
But now I do have that chance, and I'll let you in on a secret: I mean to use it. 1965 March 15, Lyndon B. Johnson, 42:30 from the start, in Special Message to the Congress: The American Promise [on the Voting Rights Act], 3/15/65. MP506., Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum:
There was a fat/slim chance that my letter would arrive in time.
If you get the chance, try and catch the new production of "Hamlet."
Here was my chance. I took the old man aside, and two or three glasses of Old Crow launched him into reminiscence. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
We had the chance to meet the president last week: we have a good/strong chance of making / to make a profit.
(uncountable) Random occurrence; luck.
My whole life seems to be ruled by blind chance.
Why leave it to chance when a few simple steps will secure the desired outcome?
(countable) The probability of something happening.
Though we carried a radio, the chance of rescue in many areas was slim, and one man could never haul the boat with the other one on board. 1989 May, Jeff MacInnis, “Braving the Northwest Passage”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 591:
There is little chance of having the chance to approach such a big celeb.
Sometimes the name is changed because it is thought to be unlucky. If "Chua" is ill, the chances are that there are certain spirits who do not like his name, so the parents alter his name to "Mee," or something else, and then he gets well again. 1908, Ernest Young, “Chapter 4 The children”, in Peeps at Many Lands: Siam, London: Adam and Charles Black, page 16:
(archaic, countable) What befalls or happens to a person; their lot or fate.
Wild-visag'd Wanderer! ah for thy heavy chance! 1795, Robert Southey, The Soldier's Wife:
But at the moment when everything was going so well, there came one of those unforeseeable chances that reduce even the most circumspectly arranged plots to the significance of a mere toss-up. 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
ro șanse (an opportunity or possibility) · bg шанс (an opportunity or possibility) · sh vjerojátnōst (probability of something happening) · he הִזְדַּמְּנוּת פָּז (an opportunity or possibility) · cmn 幾率 /几率 (probability of something happening) · fa-ira شانْس (an opportunity or possibility) · cmn 機會 /机会 (an opportunity or possibility) · ko 찬스 (an opportunity or possibility) · bg възмо́жност (probability of something happening) · hu valószínűség (probability of something happening) · pt hipótese (probability of something happening) · tt форсат (an opportunity or possibility) · prs فُرْصَت (an opportunity or possibility) · be вераго́днасьць (probability of something happening) · tr talih (an opportunity or possibility) · da mulighed (an opportunity or possibility) · zza beğt (lot or fate) · ru шанс (an opportunity or possibility) · yue 機會 /机会 (an opportunity or possibility) · ko 가능성 (probability of something happening) · cmn 可能性 (probability of something happening) · ar فُرْصَة (an opportunity or possibility) · el περίσταση (random occurrence) · hy հնարավորություն (an opportunity or possibility) · la fors (probability of something happening) · gd cothrom (an opportunity or possibility) · tr şans (random occurrence) · da chance (probability of something happening) · zza qeder (lot or fate) · ca probabilitat (probability of something happening) · es posibilidad (an opportunity or possibility) · ko 기회 (an opportunity or possibility) · la possibilitas (an opportunity or possibility) · ur مَوقَعْ (an opportunity or possibility) · de Wahrscheinlichkeit (probability of something happening) · oc possibiltat (an opportunity or possibility) · sh mogúćnōst (an opportunity or possibility) · tr kader (lot or fate) · ka შესაძლებლობა (an opportunity or possibility) · pl okazja (an opportunity or possibility) · ca casualitat (random occurrence) · tr olanak (probability of something happening) · mk шанса (an opportunity or possibility) · km គ្រោះ (random occurrence) · nl toeval (random occurrence) · ota تصادف (random occurrence) · be імаве́рнасьць (probability of something happening) · pl traf (an opportunity or possibility) · ca causalitat (an opportunity or possibility) · de Gelegenheit (an opportunity or possibility) · ru возмо́жность (an opportunity or possibility) · ota بخت (random occurrence) · sv sannolikhet (probability of something happening) · la accidentia (probability of something happening) · tr kısmet (lot or fate) · uk шанс (an opportunity or possibility) · fy kâns (an opportunity or possibility) · be магчы́масьць (an opportunity or possibility) · ga faill (an opportunity or possibility) · is líkur (probability of something happening) · ja チャンス (an opportunity or possibility) · hi प्रायिकता (probability of something happening) · ko 확률 (probability of something happening) · nb mulighet (random occurrence) · hu eshetőség (probability of something happening) · de Möglichkeit (an opportunity or possibility) · ro accident (random occurrence) · sh могу́ћно̄ст (an opportunity or possibility) · kmr firset (an opportunity or possibility) · de Chance (an opportunity or possibility) · ga seans (probability of something happening) · sh šȁnsa (probability of something happening) · be магчы́масць (probability of something happening) · ka შემთხვევა (random occurrence) · pt chance (an opportunity or possibility) · es casualidad (random occurrence) · hu alkalom (an opportunity or possibility) · he מִקְרֶה (random occurrence) · mk веројатност (probability of something happening) · sv chans (probability of something happening) · sv chans (an opportunity or possibility) · zza seğs (an opportunity or possibility) · tr talih (lot or fate) · nb sannsynlighet (probability of something happening) · gl oportunidade (an opportunity or possibility) · fa-ira فُرْصَت (an opportunity or possibility) · ky мүмкүндүк (an opportunity or possibility) · es baza (probability of something happening) · da sandsynlighed (probability of something happening) · sv möjlighet (an opportunity or possibility) · az fürsət (an opportunity or possibility) · is líkindi (probability of something happening) · be магчы́масьць (probability of something happening) · sh verojátnōst (probability of something happening) · nl kans (probability of something happening) · uk можли́вість (probability of something happening) · es chanza (an opportunity or possibility) · bg случа́йност (random occurrence) · sk pravdepodobnosť (probability of something happening) · sv slump (random occurrence) · el ευκαιρία (an opportunity or possibility) · eo hazardo (random occurrence) · ca oportunitat (an opportunity or possibility) · ang ġegang (random occurrence) · tk pursat (an opportunity or possibility) · oc escasença (random occurrence) · el σύμπτωση (random occurrence) · be імаве́рнасць (probability of something happening) · uz imkoniyat (an opportunity or possibility) · ru возмо́жность (probability of something happening) · es suerte (random occurrence) · fr chance (probability of something happening) · sh вероја́тно̄ст (probability of something happening) · la opportunitas (an opportunity or possibility) · it probabilità (probability of something happening) · ga amhantar (an opportunity or possibility) · rm pussaivladad (an opportunity or possibility) · ur فُرْصَت (an opportunity or possibility) · ug پۇرسەت (an opportunity or possibility) · lv iespēja (an opportunity or possibility) · nl gelegenheid (an opportunity or possibility) · cs příležitost (an opportunity or possibility) · la potestas (an opportunity or possibility) · sk príležitosť (an opportunity or possibility) · bg шанс (lot or fate) · hy պատահականություն (random occurrence) · sl verjetnost (probability of something happening) · be шанс (an opportunity or possibility) · el πιθανότητα (an opportunity or possibility) · he צֵרוּף מִקְרִים (random occurrence) · fi todennäköisyys (probability of something happening) · ang ġegang (an opportunity or possibility) · it chance (an opportunity or possibility) · tr şans (probability of something happening) · hi अवसर (an opportunity or possibility) · hi चांस (an opportunity or possibility) · kea txansa (random occurrence) · el συγκυρία (random occurrence) · he מַזָּל (an opportunity or possibility) · be шанс (probability of something happening) · hi मौक़ा (an opportunity or possibility) · es chance (an opportunity or possibility) · uz fursat (an opportunity or possibility) · sh mogúćnōst (probability of something happening) · enm chaunce (lot or fate) · pt probabilidade (probability of something happening) · be вераго́днасць (probability of something happening) · de Zufall (an opportunity or possibility) · te అవకాశము (an opportunity or possibility) · nb sjanse (an opportunity or possibility) · sq nge (an opportunity or possibility) · tl pagkakataon (an opportunity or possibility) · ru случа́йность (random occurrence) · ka შანსი (an opportunity or possibility) · mi tūponotanga (probability of something happening) · de Schicksal (lot or fate) · it caso (random occurrence) · be шанц (an opportunity or possibility) · pl szansa (an opportunity or possibility) · cs náhoda (random occurrence) · bg възмо́жност (an opportunity or possibility) · da chance (an opportunity or possibility) · sq shans (an opportunity or possibility) · ka შემთხვევითობა (probability of something happening) · bg вероя́тност (probability of something happening) · de Los (lot or fate) · zza fırset (an opportunity or possibility) · tr baht (lot or fate) · sh šȁnsa (an opportunity or possibility) · he סִיכּוּי (an opportunity or possibility) · ota بخت (lot or fate) · sh могу́ћно̄ст (probability of something happening) · uk шанс (probability of something happening) · sw nafasi (an opportunity or possibility) · ro probabilitate (probability of something happening) · enm chaunce (random occurrence) · tr fırsat (random occurrence) · fi sattuma (random occurrence) · vi cơ hội (an opportunity or possibility) · sl priložnost (an opportunity or possibility) · pl prawdopodobieństwo (probability of something happening) · mn боломж (an opportunity or possibility) · ja 機会 (an opportunity or possibility) · la probabilitas (probability of something happening) · mnc ᠨᠠᠰᡥᡡᠨ (an opportunity or possibility) · hu esély (probability of something happening) · de Zufall (random occurrence) · tr fırsat (an opportunity or possibility) · si අවස්ථාව (an opportunity or possibility) · cs šance (an opportunity or possibility) · my အခွင့်အရေး (an opportunity or possibility) · ko 우연 (random occurrence) · sh ша̏нса (an opportunity or possibility) · fi mahdollisuus (probability of something happening) · it opportunità (an opportunity or possibility) · et võimalus (an opportunity or possibility) · pl gratka (an opportunity or possibility) · ro întâmplare (random occurrence) · tr ihtimal (probability of something happening) · uk можли́вість (an opportunity or possibility) · th โอกาส (an opportunity or possibility) · bg шанс (probability of something happening) · nl mogelijkheid (an opportunity or possibility) · sk šanca (an opportunity or possibility) · ca atzar (random occurrence) · kea txansa (an opportunity or possibility) · be шанц (probability of something happening) · ml അവസരം (an opportunity or possibility) · zza sehud (an opportunity or possibility) · ja 確率 (probability of something happening) · cs pravděpodobnost (probability of something happening) · nb mulighet (an opportunity or possibility) · enm chaunce (an opportunity or possibility) · fr risque (probability of something happening) · la temeritās (random occurrence) · ru вероя́тность (probability of something happening) · acw فُرْصة (an opportunity or possibility) · eo ŝanco (an opportunity or possibility) · ms can (an opportunity or possibility) · ja 機 (an opportunity or possibility) · oc oportunitat (an opportunity or possibility) · nan-hbl 機會 /机会 (an opportunity or possibility) · la occasio (an opportunity or possibility) · hy դիպված (random occurrence) · ga seans (an opportunity or possibility) · da mulighed (random occurrence) · el πιθανότητα (probability of something happening) · eu zori (random occurrence) · hy հավանականություն (probability of something happening) · kea xanse (probability of something happening) · fi mahdollisuus (an opportunity or possibility) · hi संभावना (probability of something happening) · sl šansa (an opportunity or possibility) · lo ໂອກາດ (an opportunity or possibility) · br chañs (an opportunity or possibility) · fr raccroc (random occurrence) · ps فرصت (an opportunity or possibility) · hu véletlen (random occurrence) · is tækifæri (an opportunity or possibility) · vo mögod (an opportunity or possibility) · pl sposobność (an opportunity or possibility) · id kesempatan (an opportunity or possibility) · az imkan (an opportunity or possibility) · mk можност (an opportunity or possibility) · be магчы́масць (an opportunity or possibility) · es albur (lot or fate) · ml സാധ്യത (probability of something happening) · cs šance (probability of something happening) · it occasione (an opportunity or possibility) · ms kesempatan (an opportunity or possibility) · tg фурсат (an opportunity or possibility) · ro ocazie (an opportunity or possibility) · la fors (random occurrence) · fr chance (an opportunity or possibility) · uk імові́рність (probability of something happening) · cmn 概率 (probability of something happening) · nb sjanse (probability of something happening) · ta சந்தர்ப்பம் (an opportunity or possibility) · hak 機會 /机会 (an opportunity or possibility) · it possibilità (an opportunity or possibility) · kk мүмкіндік (an opportunity or possibility) · ta வாய்ப்பு (an opportunity or possibility) · nl kans (an opportunity or possibility) · ro șansă (an opportunity or possibility) · hi संयोग (random occurrence) · pt acaso (random occurrence) · cdo 機會 /机会 (an opportunity or possibility) · es probabilidad (probability of something happening) · ja 可能性 (probability of something happening) · tr kaza (random occurrence) · lt próga (an opportunity or possibility) · hu lehetőség (an opportunity or possibility) · ms cerlak (an opportunity or possibility) · hi अवकाश (an opportunity or possibility) · kea txansa (probability of something happening) · es oportunidad (an opportunity or possibility) · ba форсат (an opportunity or possibility) · ga seans (random occurrence) · el ενδεχόμενο (probability of something happening) · nb tilfeldigheter (random occurrence) · fr hasard (random occurrence) · el τύχη (random occurrence) · da tilfældighed (random occurrence) · kea xanse (an opportunity or possibility) · pl możliwość (an opportunity or possibility) · es azar (random occurrence) · sh ша̏нса (probability of something happening) · la aditus (an opportunity or possibility) · sh вјероја́тно̄ст (probability of something happening) · tr şans (an opportunity or possibility) · la accidentia (random occurrence) · km ឱកាស (an opportunity or possibility) · ms peluang (an opportunity or possibility) · ru шанс (probability of something happening) · kea xansa (random occurrence)
chance en · VERB · etymology 2
Pronunciation
[t͡ʃɑːns] (India)
/t͡ʃæns/ [t͡ʃʰeə̯ns] (Canada, US)
/t͡ʃäːns/ [t͡ʃʰäːns] Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
/t͡ʃɐːns/ [t͡ʃʰɐːns] Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
/t͡ʃæns/ [t͡ʃʰeːns] (Australia)
Etymology
From Middle English chancen, chauncen, from the noun (see above).
Meanings
(archaic, intransitive) To happen by chance, to occur.
if a bird's nest chance to be before thee 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 22:6:
Mr. Mason, shivering as some one chanced to open the door, asked for more coal to be put on the fire, which had burnt out its flame, though its mass of cinder still shone hot and red. The footman who brought the coal, in going out, stopped near Mr. Eshton's chair, and said something to him in a low voice, of which I heard only the words, "old woman,"—"quite troublesome." 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter XVIII, in Jane Eyre. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC:
It chanced that I found a solution the very next day.
Once […] it chanced that Geoffrey Riddell Bishop of Ely, a Prelate rather troublesome to our Abbot, made a request of him for timber from his woods towards certain edifices going on at Glemsford. 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. XV, Practical — Devotional”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):
(archaic, transitive) To befall; to happen to.
[…] while the King and Godwine sate at the table, accompanied with others of the nobilitie, it chanced the cupbearer (as he brought wine to the bourd) to slip with the one foote, and yet by good strength of his other leg, to recover himselfe without falling […] 1826, William Lambarde, A Perambulation of Kent:
To try or risk.
Shall we carry the umbrella, or chance a rainstorm?
He does chance it in stocks, but he's always played on the square, if you call stocks gambling. 1890, William Dean Howells, A Hazard of New Fortunes:
To discover something by chance.
He chanced upon a kindly stranger who showed him the way.
I chanced on this letter. c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
(Belize) To rob, cheat or swindle someone.
The car broke down a week after I bought it. I was chanced by that fast-talking salesman.
Be prepared to engage in protests of all businesses nationwide who are violating the copyright act and chancing our members. 2017 March 22, Jules Vasquez, “Shyne Urges Artists To Protest Against Businesses Countrywide”, in 7 News Belize:
(Nigeria) To take an opportunity from someone; to cut a queue.
sw nafasi (to try or risk) · cs narazit (to discover by chance) · mi matawhaia (to discover by chance) · sv chansa (to try or risk) · hu rábukkan (to discover by chance) · fi kohdata sattumalta (to discover by chance) · bg попадам на (to discover by chance) · eo hazarde okazi (happen by chance) · ca arriscar-se (to try or risk) · nl wagen (to try or risk) · fi tavata sattumalta (to discover by chance) · fi löytää sattumalta (to discover by chance) · fi ottaa riski (to try or risk) · da ta chancen (to try or risk) · hu belebotlik (to discover by chance) · mi tūpono (to discover by chance) · tr riske etmek (to try or risk) · de wagen (to try or risk) · sw nafasi (to discover by chance) · da risikere (to try or risk) · sv råka (to discover by chance) · ro risca (to try or risk) · eo hazardi (to try or risk) · es chansear (to try or risk) · bg рискувам (to try or risk) · es chancear (to try or risk) · de riskieren (to try or risk) · hu megkockáztat (to try or risk) · da støde på (ved en tilfældighed) (to discover by chance) · hu ráakad (to discover by chance) · sv riskera (to try or risk)