chance

== English == === Alternative forms === chaunce (obsolete) === Pronunciation === (trap–bath split) (Received Pronunciation, Cockney) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃɑːns/, [ˈt͡ʃʰɑːns] (Cultivated Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃʰäːns/, [ˈt͡ʃʰäːns]; /ˈt͡ʃʰɐːns/, [ˈt͡ʃʰɐːns] (India) IPA(key): [ˈt͡ʃɑːns], [ˈt͡ʃɑːns] (without the trap–bath split) (without æ-raising) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃʰæns/, [ˈt͡ʃʰæns] (Northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃans/, [t͡ʃʰans] (without æ-raising) (US, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃeə̯ns/, [ˈt͡ʃʰeə̯ns]; /ˈt͡ʃɛə̯ns/, [ˈt͡ʃʰɛə̯ns] (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃeːns/, [ˈt͡ʃʰeːns] Rhymes: -ɑːns, -æns Hyphenation: chance === Etymology 1 === 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. ==== Noun ==== chance (countable and uncountable, plural chances) (countable) An opportunity or possibility. (uncountable) Random occurrence; luck. Synonyms: fortune, hap; see also Thesaurus:luck (countable) The probability of something happening. (in plural as chances) probability; possibility. Synonyms: eventuality; see also Thesaurus:possibility (countable, archaic) What befalls or happens to a person; their lot or fate. Synonyms: destiny, doom; see also Thesaurus:fate ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Icelandic: séns → Japanese: チャンス ===== Translations ===== ==== Adjective ==== chance (not comparable) Happening by chance, casual. ===== Translations ===== ==== Adverb ==== chance (not comparable) (obsolete) Perchance; perhaps. === Etymology 2 === From Middle English chancen, chauncen, from the noun (see above). ==== Verb ==== chance (third-person singular simple present chances, present participle chancing, simple past and past participle chanced) (archaic, intransitive) To happen by chance, to occur. (archaic, transitive) To befall; to happen to. To try or risk. To discover something by chance. (Belize) To rob, cheat or swindle someone. (Nigeria) To take an opportunity from someone; to cut a queue. ===== Synonyms ===== (to happen) come to pass, occur, transpire; See also Thesaurus:happen (to happen to) (to try) test (to discover something) come across, come on, come upon, encounter, stumble upon (to cheat someone) deceive, fool, trick; See also Thesaurus:deceive ===== Derived terms ===== bechance chance on chance one's arm chance upon unchanced ===== Translations ===== === References === “chance”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “chance”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. === Anagrams === chacne, canche, Canche == Danish == === Etymology 1 === From French chance, from Vulgar Latin *cadentia (“falling”), from Latin cadō (“to fall, to die”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈɕɑŋsə] === Noun === chance c (singular definite chancen, plural indefinite chancer) chance === Declension === ==== Antonyms ==== risiko === Etymology 2 === Perhaps from Swedish chansa. === Verb === chance (imperative chanc, infinitive at chance, present tense chancer, past tense chancede, perfect tense chancet) (rare) to take a chance, gamble === Conjugation === ==== References ==== “chance” in Den Danske Ordbog “chance” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog == Franco-Provençal == === Alternative forms === chonse, chanse, sha͟nche, sha͟ncha (Bressan) tsanthe (Fribourgeois) === Etymology === Borrowed from French chance, from Vulgar Latin *cadentia. Doublet of chenci. === Noun === chance f (plural chances) (ORB, broad) chance, luck ==== Derived terms ==== chanciox === References === chance in DicoFranPro: Dictionnaire Français/Francoprovençal – on dicofranpro.llm.umontreal.ca chance in Lo trèsor Arpitan – on arpitan.eu === Further information === Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “cadĕre”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 2: C Q K, page 27 == French == === Etymology === From Old French cheance (“accident, chance, luck”), inherited from Vulgar Latin *cadentia (“falling”). Doublet of cadence, a borrowing from Italian. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ʃɑ̃s/ Rhymes: -ɑ̃s === Noun === chance f (plural chances) chance luck (euphemistic) Immigrant of non-European heritage, short for "chance pour la France". ==== Antonyms ==== adversité guigne (familiar) malchance malheur ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== choir ==== Descendants ==== === Further reading === “chance”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Italian == === Alternative forms === scians === Etymology === Borrowed from French chance. Doublet of cadenza. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): */ˈʃans/ Rhymes: -ans === Noun === chance f (invariable) chance (possibility of a certain outcome) == Middle English == === Noun === chance alternative form of chaunce == Old French == === Noun === chance oblique singular, f (oblique plural chances, nominative singular chance, nominative plural chances) alternative form of cheance == Portuguese == === Etymology === Borrowed from French chance. Doublet of cadência. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: chan‧ce === Noun === chance f (plural chances) probability chance, opportunity Synonym: oportunidade === References === === Further reading === “chance”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === Borrowed from French chance or from English chance. Doublet of cadencia. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃanθe/ [ˈt͡ʃãn̟.θe] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃanse/ [ˈt͡ʃãn.se] (Latin America, Philippines) Rhymes: -anθe (Equatorial Guinea, Spain) Rhymes: -anse (Latin America, Philippines) Syllabification: chan‧ce IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃans/ [ˈt͡ʃãns] Rhymes: -ans IPA(key): /ˈʃans/ [ˈʃãns] Rhymes: -ans === Noun === chance m or f same meaning (plural chances) (Latin America) chance (colloquial, Guatemala, El Salvador) a job; a position; a post of employment ==== Usage notes ==== Feminine in the Southern Cone. ==== Derived terms ==== === Conjunction === chance (Mexico) maybe, perchance, perhaps or possibly Synonyms: a lo mejor, quizá, quizás, tal vez === Further reading === “chance”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 “chance”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010 Seco, Manuel; Andrés, Olimpia; Ramos, Gabino (2023), “chance”, in Diccionario del español actual (in Spanish), third digital edition, Fundación BBVA