lottery
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a game where you buy a ticket with numbers on it, and you win money if your numbers are chosen by luck.
a scheme for the distribution of prizes by lot or chance, typically involving the purchase of numbered tickets.
Simple“He buys a ticket for the national lottery every Saturday, hoping to win the jackpot.”
In context“The state-run lottery generates significant revenue for public works, though critics argue it functions as a regressive tax on lower-income households.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'play', 'win', or 'enter'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a situation where the result depends on luck or chance rather than hard work or skill.
a process or event whose outcome is governed by chance or unpredictable factors.
Simple“Finding a good parking space in this city is a complete lottery.”
In context“Securing a place at the prestigious academy has become something of a lottery, as the number of qualified applicants far exceeds the available spots.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'a bit of a lottery' or 'the postcode lottery'.
Synonymsgambletoss upAntonyms
“She told the BBC at the time that the way police forces investigate cases was "too much of a postcode lottery".”
Borrowed from Italian lotteria, from the same root as Old English hlot (cognate with English lot). Compare French loterie (from Middle Dutch loterie). By surface analysis, lot + -ery.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.