[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/chance.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / chance

[← C](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/C/)

# chance

«chance» in Mova's school dictionary: **a time when you can do something; an opportunity** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a chance, chances); verb (chance, chances, chanced, chancing — chance it); adjective (chance — a chance meeting)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A chance is a time when you can do something; an opportunity. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#m1)

2) Chance is how likely something is to happen; the possibility. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#m2)

3) Chance is luck: things happening without anyone planning them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#m3)

4) To chance it (informal) is to try something risky and hope it works. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In maths, chance and probability describe how likely an event is, on a scale from impossible (0) through unlikely, even chance (1/2, «fifty-fifty») and likely to certain (1); tossing a coin has an even chance of heads; rolling a 6 on a die has a 1 in 6 chance. In safety, «don't take chances» means don't take risks. In everyday life, «give someone a second chance» is forgiving them. Phrases: «by chance», «take a chance», «a fair chance», «no chance», «even chance», «chances are», «second chance», «have a chance to».

### examples

- I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x1)
- There's a good chance of rain tomorrow. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x2)
- We met by chance at the shops. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x3)
- What's the chance of rolling a six? It's 1 in 6. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x4)
- Tossing a coin gives an even chance of heads or tails. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x5)
- Give him a second chance; he said sorry. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x6)
- Don't take chances when crossing the road. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x7)
- No chance! I'm not jumping in that cold lake. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x8)
- And at length chance helped him. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/#x9)

### note

Countable for opportunities («two chances»); uncountable for luck («by chance»). In maths, «chance of 1 in 4» = 1/4 = 25%. «Even chance» = 1/2. «Chances are» means «it is likely that». Do not confuse with «change».

### In the corpora

- [Asking kindly, "Does it hurt?" gives an older person a chance to be honest.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/37-sorry-white-lies-and-because-i-said-so/17/)
- [An animal cannot choose to evolve; changes happen by chance in DNA, and the place decides which ones last.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/280-evolution-myths-put-right-monkeys-the-strongest-and-missing-links/11/)
- [A small pond without fish, with gently sloping edges, gives them their best chance.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/309-frogs-and-toads-near-home-spawn-croaking-choruses-toad-crossings-and-the-fire-bellied-toad/5/)
- [By chance the Stranger-man finds Teshumai at her Cave, having lunch with other Stone Age ladies.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes/3/)
- ["The luck of the draw" means it was chance, not your fault.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/32-religion-fate-failure/14/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «chance» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chance/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.