I. ˈchan(t)s 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 śad- 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
II. verb
( chanced ; chanc·ing )
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to take place, come about, or turn out by chance : happen
it chanced to rain that day
b. : to have the good or bad luck
we chanced to meet
2. : to come or light by chance
they chanced upon a remote inn
transitive verb
1. : to leave the outcome of to chance
2. : to accept the hazard of : risk
knew the trip was dangerous but decided to chance it
•
- chance one's arm