n.
Pronunciation: ' risk
Function: noun
Etymology: French risque, from Italian risco
Date: circa 1661
1 : possibility of loss or injury : PERIL
2 : someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard
3 a : the chance of loss or the perils to the subject matter of an insurance contract also : the degree of probability of such loss b : a person or thing that is a specified hazard to an insurer <a poor risk for insurance> c : an insurance hazard from a specified cause or source <war risk >
4 : the chance that an investment (as a stock or commodity) will lose value
– risk · less \ ' ris-kl ə s \ adjective
– at risk : in a state or condition marked by a high level of risk or susceptibility <patients at risk of infection>