# chance

/ˈtʃæns/ (US) · /tʃˈɑːns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/chance
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. opportunity

noun · CEFR A2

a good time or situation to do something you want to do.

For teachers: a favourable set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

- She finally got a chance to visit Paris last summer.
- The internship provides a rare chance for students to work alongside senior researchers on high-impact clinical trials.

### 2. probability

noun · CEFR A2

the level of possibility that something will happen.

For teachers: the likelihood or statistical probability of a particular event occurring.

- There is a good chance of rain this afternoon, so take an umbrella.
- Economists believe there is a significant chance that interest rates will remain stable throughout the next fiscal quarter.

Usage: Often used in the plural ('chances') when discussing general likelihood.

### 3. luck or accident

noun · CEFR B1

the way things happen without being planned or caused by anyone.

For teachers: the force that causes things to happen in a way that is not planned or controlled; randomness.

- I met my old teacher by chance while I was shopping at the mall.
- The discovery was made entirely by chance when a laboratory technician accidentally left the samples exposed to sunlight overnight.

### 4. to risk

verb · CEFR B2

to try something even though you might fail or something bad might happen.

For teachers: to take a risk or attempt something despite the possibility of an unfavourable outcome.

- The weather looked bad, but we decided to chance it and go for a walk.
- Although the mountain pass was narrow and icy, the driver decided to chance it rather than wait for the salt trucks to arrive.

Usage: Often used with 'it' as a dummy object: 'to chance it'.

### 6. unplanned

adjective · CEFR B2

happening by accident rather than being planned.

For teachers: occurring by accident or without design; incidental.

- A chance meeting at a conference led to a new job offer.
- The project's success was partly due to a chance remark made during a coffee break that sparked a completely new design approach.

## Examples

- There is a good chance that it will rain today.
- This internship is a great chance for you to gain experience in the fashion industry.
- While the mathematical chance of failure was low, the engineers refused to proceed until every redundant system had been tested under extreme pressure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.