n.
Pronunciation: ' chan(t)s
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *cadentia fall, from Latin cadent-, cadens, present participle of cadere to fall; perhaps akin to Sanskrit ś ad- to fall off
Date: 14th century
1 a : something that happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause b : the assumed impersonal purposeless determiner of unaccountable happenings : LUCK <an outcome decided by chance > c : the fortuitous or incalculable element in existence : CONTINGENCY
2 : a situation favoring some purpose : OPPORTUNITY <needed a chance to relax>
3 : a fielding opportunity in baseball
4 a : the possibility of a particular outcome in an uncertain situation also : the degree of likelihood of such an outcome <a small chance of success> b plural : the more likely indications < chance s are he's already gone>
5 a : RISK <not taking any chance s > b : a raffle ticket
– chance adjective
– by chance : in the haphazard course of events <they met by chance >