chance

A2 Topic:General Vocabulary

Also spelled chanst

US /t͡ʃæns/ UK [t͡ʃʰɑːns] See IPA manual

Freq #418

Meanings

1

noun
An opportunity to do something.

We had the chance to meet the president last week.
2

noun
How likely it is that something will happen.

There is a 30 percent chance of rain tomorrow.
3

noun
The way things happen without being planned; luck.

We met by chance at the airport.
4

verb
To find or meet something unexpectedly.

I chanced upon an old friend in the street.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · how likely it is that... possibility

3 noun · the way things happen... fortune luck accident

4 verb · to find or meet something... find

More encounter fool occur transpire trick

Word family

Forms chancedchanceschancing

Derived forms bechancechance-medleychanceablechancefulchancelesschancelychancerchancewisechancyhalf-chancehappenchanceoff-chance

Appears in

Phrases (7)

See all

good chance
a reasonable likelihood that something will happen

Adjective + noun
give a chance
offer an opportunity to someone

Verb + noun
miss a chance
fail to use an available opportunity

Verb + noun
take a chance
risk doing something uncertain

Verb + noun
fair chance
an equal and reasonable opportunity

Adjective + noun
slim chance
a very small probability

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (5)

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Simplified etymology

Chance ultimately derives from Latin cadere, meaning “to fall.” In medieval times, chance could mean “an accident” as well as “the way things happen” or “fortune.”

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.

*ḱh₂d- Proto-Indo-European chance Middle English cheance Old French *cadentia la-vul cadere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# chance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /t͡ʃæns/
**IPA (UK):** [t͡ʃʰɑːns]
**Frequency rank:** 418

## Meanings
1. An opportunity to do something.
2. How likely it is that something will happen.
3. The way things happen without being planned; luck.
4. To find or meet something unexpectedly.

## Examples
- We had the chance to meet the president last week.
- There is a 30 percent chance of rain tomorrow.
- We met by chance at the airport.
- I chanced upon an old friend in the street.

## Synonyms
- encounter
- fool
- occur
- transpire
- trick

## Derived Forms
- bechance
- chance-medley
- chanceable
- chanceful
- chanceless
- chancely
- chancer
- chancewise
- chancy
- half-chance
- happenchance
- off-chance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ḱh₂d-
- Root: chance
- Root: cheance
- Root: *cadentia
- Root: cadere

## 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.

## AI Etymology
chance is a noun and verb. It is 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. Historical forms in the chain include *ḱh₂d- (Proto-Indo-European), chance (Middle English), cheance (Old French), *cadentia (la-vul), and cadere (Latin). Current senses include an opportunity to do something, how likely it is that something will happen, and the way things happen without being planned; luck. Derived forms include bechance, chance-medley, chanceable, chanceful, and chanceless.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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