chance


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

chance

luck or fortune; a risk or hazard; accident; fortuity: We meet, not really by chance.
Not to be confused with:
chants – psalms, canticles, or songs that are sung in a rhythmic, monotonous tone: chants of a bird
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

chance

 (chăns)
n.
1.
a. The unknown and unpredictable element in happenings that seems to have no assignable cause.
b. A force assumed to cause events that cannot be foreseen or controlled; luck: Chance will determine the outcome.
2. often chances The likelihood of something happening; possibility or probability: Chances are good that you will win. Is there any chance of rain?
3. An accidental or unpredictable event: "He sprang to his feet and turned to run. At the same moment by a lucky chance the moon broke through the clouds" (Arthur Conan Doyle).
4. A favorable set of circumstances; an opportunity: a chance to escape.
5. A risk or hazard; a gamble: took a chance that the ice would hold me.
6. Games A raffle or lottery ticket.
7. Baseball An opportunity to make a putout or an assist that counts as an error if unsuccessful.
adj.
Caused by or ascribable to chance; unexpected, random, or casual: a chance encounter; a chance result.
tr.v. chanced, chanc·ing, chanc·es
1. To take the risk or hazard of: We thought we could jump over the puddle, but we were not willing to chance it.
2. To have the fortune (to be or do something); happen: "My eye chanced to fall on the wizened houseplant on the windowsill" (Elisabeth Brink).
3. Used with the impersonal subject it and a following clause or infinitive to indicate the occurrence of a usually unexpected or chance event: "Now it chanced that this car-line was owned by gentlemen who were trying to make money" (Upton Sinclair).
Phrasal Verb:
chance on (or upon)
To find or meet accidentally; happen upon: While in Paris we chanced on two old friends.
Idioms:
by chance
1. Without plan; accidentally: They met by chance on a plane.
2. Possibly; perchance: Is he, by chance, her brother?
on the off chance
In the slight hope or possibility.

[Middle English, unexpected event, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *cadentia, from Latin cadēns, cadent-, present participle of cadere, to fall, befall; see kad- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: chance, random, casual, haphazard, desultory
These adjectives apply to what is determined not by deliberation but by happenstance. Chance stresses lack of intention or premeditation: a chance meeting with a friend.
Random implies the absence of a specific pattern or objective: at the mercy of random events.
Casual stresses the indiscriminate or unpredictable nature of chance events: "the casual mutation of one of your liver cells from normal to cancerous" (John Barth).
Haphazard implies a carelessness or lack of control: "If unmarried significant others are invited to participate in the family support groups at all, it tends to be on a haphazard, informal basis" (Kristin Henderson).
Desultory denotes a sporadic or aimless sequence of events: "I lay on a shared cot listening to desultory gunfire" (Jan Clausen). See Also Synonyms at happen, opportunity.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

chance

(tʃɑːns)
n
1.
a. the unknown and unpredictable element that causes an event to result in a certain way rather than another, spoken of as a real force
b. (as modifier): a chance meeting. fortuitous
2. fortune; luck; fate
3. an opportunity or occasion
4. a risk; gamble: you take a chance with his driving.
5. (Statistics) the extent to which an event is likely to occur; probability
6. an unpredicted event, esp a fortunate one: that was quite a chance, finding him here.
7. archaic an unlucky event; mishap
8. by chance
a. accidentally: he slipped by chance.
b. perhaps: do you by chance have a room?.
9. chances are… the chances are… it is likely (that)…
10. on the chance acting on the possibility; in case
11. the main chance the opportunity for personal gain (esp in the phrase an eye to the main chance)
vb
12. (tr) to risk; hazard: I'll chance the worst happening.
13. to happen by chance; be the case by chance: I chanced to catch sight of her as she passed.
14. chance on chance upon to come upon by accident: he chanced on the solution to his problem.
15. chance one's arm to attempt to do something although the chance of success may be slight
[C13: from Old French cheance, from cheoir to fall, occur, from Latin cadere]
ˈchanceful adj
ˈchanceless adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

chance

(tʃæns, tʃɑns)

n., v. chanced, chanc•ing,
adj. n.
1. the unpredictable and uncontrollable element of an occurrence.
2. luck or fortune: a game of chance.
3. a possibility or probability of anything happening: a fifty-percent chance of success.
4. an opportunity: Now is your chance.
5. a risk or hazard: Take a chance.
6. a ticket in a lottery or prize drawing.
7. chances, probability: The chances are that the train hasn't left yet.
8. Archaic. an unfortunate event; mishap.
v.i.
9. to happen or occur by chance: It chanced that our arrivals coincided.
v.t.
10. to take the chances or risks of; risk (often fol. by it): I'll have to chance it, whatever the outcome.
11. chance on or upon, to meet unexpectedly and accidentally.
adj.
12. not planned or expected; accidental: a chance occurrence.
Idioms:
1. by chance, unintentionally; accidentally.
2. on the (off) chance, counting on the (slight) possibility.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French ch(e)ance < Vulgar Latin *cadentia event, happening]
chance′ful, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chance

See also gambling.

the doctrine that events are ruled by chance.
a chance happening. See also injury.
a chance happening or coincidence. See also agreement.
the doctrine that chance is involved in natural events rather than absolute determinism. See also evolution. — fortuist, n.
a chance event, discovery, or occurrence. — fortuitousness, n. — fortuitous, adj.
the condition of being uncertain or unstable. — lubricious, adj.
a talent for making fortunate discoveries while searching for other things. — serendipitous, adj.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

chance

1. 'chance'

If it is possible that something will happen, you can say that there is a chance that it will happen or a chance of it happening.

There is a chance that I will have to stay longer.
If we play well there is a chance of winning 5-0.

If something is fairly likely to happen, you can say that there is a good chance that it will happen.

There was a good chance that I would be discovered.
We've got a good chance of winning.

If something is unlikely to happen, you can say that there is little chance that it will happen. If you are sure that it will not happen, you can say that there is no chance that it will happen.

There's little chance that the situation will improve.
There's no chance of going home.

If someone is able to do something on a particular occasion, you can say that they have the chance to do it.

You will be given the chance to ask questions.
Visitors have the chance to win a camera.
2. 'by chance'

If something happens by chance, it was not planned.

Many years later he met her by chance at a dinner party.
3. 'luck'

If you say that something happens by chance, you are not saying whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. If something good happens without being planned, you refer to it as luck, not 'chance'.

I couldn't believe my luck.
Good luck!

occasion

opportunitychance
1. 'occasion'

An occasion is a particular time when something happens.

I remember the occasion very well.
There are occasions when you must refuse.

You often say that something happens on a particular occasion.

I think it would be better if I went alone on this occasion.
I met him only on one occasion.

An occasion is also an important event, ceremony, or celebration.

It was a wonderful end to an unforgettable occasion.
They have fixed the date for the big occasion.
2. 'opportunity' and 'chance'

Don't use occasion to refer to a situation in which it is possible for someone to do something. Instead, use opportunity or chance.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity of working with Paul.
She put the phone down before I had a chance to reply.
See chance
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

chance


Past participle: chanced
Gerund: chancing

Imperative
chance
chance
Present
I chance
you chance
he/she/it chances
we chance
you chance
they chance
Preterite
I chanced
you chanced
he/she/it chanced
we chanced
you chanced
they chanced
Present Continuous
I am chancing
you are chancing
he/she/it is chancing
we are chancing
you are chancing
they are chancing
Present Perfect
I have chanced
you have chanced
he/she/it has chanced
we have chanced
you have chanced
they have chanced
Past Continuous
I was chancing
you were chancing
he/she/it was chancing
we were chancing
you were chancing
they were chancing
Past Perfect
I had chanced
you had chanced
he/she/it had chanced
we had chanced
you had chanced
they had chanced
Future
I will chance
you will chance
he/she/it will chance
we will chance
you will chance
they will chance
Future Perfect
I will have chanced
you will have chanced
he/she/it will have chanced
we will have chanced
you will have chanced
they will have chanced
Future Continuous
I will be chancing
you will be chancing
he/she/it will be chancing
we will be chancing
you will be chancing
they will be chancing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been chancing
you have been chancing
he/she/it has been chancing
we have been chancing
you have been chancing
they have been chancing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been chancing
you will have been chancing
he/she/it will have been chancing
we will have been chancing
you will have been chancing
they will have been chancing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been chancing
you had been chancing
he/she/it had been chancing
we had been chancing
you had been chancing
they had been chancing
Conditional
I would chance
you would chance
he/she/it would chance
we would chance
you would chance
they would chance
Past Conditional
I would have chanced
you would have chanced
he/she/it would have chanced
we would have chanced
you would have chanced
they would have chanced
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.chance - a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstanceschance - a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances; "the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington"; "now is your chance"
possibleness, possibility - capability of existing or happening or being true; "there is a possibility that his sense of smell has been impaired"
brass ring - a rich opportunity or a prize; "he missed the brass ring at the Miami convention"
day - a period of opportunity; "he deserves his day in court"; "every dog has his day"
clean slate, fresh start, tabula rasa - an opportunity to start over without prejudice
hearing, audience - an opportunity to state your case and be heard; "they condemned him without a hearing"; "he saw that he had lost his audience"
hunting ground - a place where opportunities abound
occasion - an opportunity to do something; "there was never an occasion for her to demonstrate her skill"
opening - opportunity especially for employment or promotion; "there is an opening in the sales department"
room - opportunity for; "room for improvement"
say - the chance to speak; "let him have his say"
shot, crack - a chance to do something; "he wanted a shot at the champion"
street - a situation offering opportunities; "he worked both sides of the street"; "cooperation is a two-way street"
throw - a single chance or instance; "he couldn't afford $50 a throw"
2.chance - an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than anotherchance - an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another; "bad luck caused his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance"
phenomenon - any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
mischance, mishap, bad luck - an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate; "if I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all"
even chance, tossup, toss-up - an unpredictable phenomenon; "it's a toss-up whether he will win or lose"
3.chance - a risk involving danger; "you take a chance when you let her drive"
danger, risk, peril - a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury; "he saw the rewards but not the risks of crime"; "there was a danger he would do the wrong thing"
4.chance - a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible; "the probability that an unbiased coin will fall with the head up is 0.5"
quantity, measure, amount - how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
conditional probability, contingent probability - the probability that an event will occur given that one or more other events have occurred
cross section - (physics) the probability that a particular interaction (as capture or ionization) will take place between particles; measured in barns
exceedance - (geology) the probability that an earthquake will generate a level of ground motion that exceeds a specified reference level during a given exposure time; "the concept of exceedance can be applied to any type of environmental risk modeling"
fair chance, sporting chance - a reasonable probability of success
fat chance, slim chance - little or no chance of success
joint probability - the probability of two events occurring together
risk of exposure, risk - the probability of being exposed to an infectious agent
risk of infection, risk - the probability of becoming infected given that exposure to an infectious agent has occurred
5.chance - the possibility of future success; "his prospects as a writer are excellent"
potential, potentiality, potency - the inherent capacity for coming into being
Verb1.chance - be the case by chance; "I chanced to meet my old friend in the street"
hap, happen, occur, come about, take place, go on, pass off, fall out, pass - come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed important"
happen - chance to be or do something, without intention or causation; "I happen to have just what you need!"
2.chance - take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcomechance - take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you buy these stocks you are gambling"
attempt, essay, try, assay, seek - make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"
go for broke - risk everything in one big effort; "the cyclist went for broke at the end of the race"
luck it, luck through - act by relying on one's luck
3.chance - come upon, as if by accident; meet with; "We find this idea in Plato"; "I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here"; "She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day"
Adj.1.chance - occurring or appearing or singled out by chance; "seek help from casual passers-by"; "a casual meeting"; "a chance occurrence"
unplanned - without apparent forethought or prompting or planning; "an unplanned economy"; "accepts an unplanned order"; "an unplanned pregnancy"; "unplanned remarks"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

chance

noun
1. probability, odds, possibility, prospect, liability, likelihood This partnership has a good chance of success.
probability certainty, impossibility, surety, improbability, unlikelihood
2. opportunity, opening, occasion, time, scope, window All eligible people will get a chance to vote.
3. accident, fortune, luck, fate, destiny, coincidence, misfortune, providence I met him quite by chance.
accident design, intention
4. risk, speculation, gamble, hazard I certainly think it's worth taking a chance.
verb
1. happen A man I chanced to meet proved to be a most unusual character.
2. risk, try, stake, venture, gamble, hazard, wager No sniper would chance a shot from amongst that crowd.
Related words
adjective fortuitous
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

chance

noun
1. The quality shared by random, unintended, or unpredictable events or this quality regarded as the cause of such events:
2. The likeliness of a given event occurring:
3. An unexpected random event:
4. A favorable or advantageous combination of circumstances:
Informal: shot.
5. A possibility of danger or harm:
verb
1. To take place by chance:
2. To run the risk of:
phrasal verb
chance on or upon
To find or meet by chance:
bump into, come across, come on (or upon), find, happen on (or upon), light on (or upon), run across, run into, stumble on (or upon), tumble on.
Archaic: alight on (or upon).
Idiom: meet up with.
adjective
1. Occurring unexpectedly:
2. Having no particular pattern, purpose, organization, or structure:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
إمْكانِيَّة، احْتِمالحَظصُدْفَهفرصةفُرْصَة
šancenáhodanáhodnýnarazitnenadálý
chanceheldlejlighedmulighedrisikere
võimalus
mahdollisuussattumatilaisuustodennäköisyys
šansa
alkalomesélyeshetőségkedvezõ alkalomlehetőség
áhættahending, heppnimöguleikióvæntursem gerist óvænt
見込み
기회
atsitiktinai rastiatsitiktinai sutiktiatsitiktinai turėti progoskartaisrizika
gadījuma-gadījumsgadītiesiespējaizdevība
možnostpo naključjupriložnosttvegati
chans
nafasi
โอกาส
şanstalihtehliketesadüfen olmaktesadüfî
cơ hội

chance

[tʃɑːns]
A. N
1. (= fate) → azar m; (= coincidence) → casualidad f
by chancepor casualidad
we met by chance in Parisnos encontramos por casualidad en París
do you have a room available, by any chance?¿no tendrá por casualidad una habitación libre?, ¿por casualidad tiene una habitación libre?
to leave nothing to chanceno dejar nada al azar or a la casualidad, no dejar ningún cabo suelto or por atar
to trust sth to chancedejar algo al azar
see also game 1 A1.1
2. (= opportunity) → oportunidad f, ocasión f
chance would be a fine thing!¡ojalá!, ¡ya quisiera yo!
you'll never get another chance like thisnunca se te presentará otra oportunidad or ocasión como ésta
all those eligible will get a chance to votetodas las personas que cumplan los requisitos podrán votar
to give sb a chance he didn't give me a chance to say anythingno me dio (la) oportunidad de decir nada
give me a chance, I've only just got here!¡espera un ratito, acabo de llegar!
he never had a chance in lifenunca tuvo suerte en la vida
given half a chance he'd eat the lotsi se le dejara, se lo comería todo
you always wanted to ride a horse, and here's your chancesiempre quisiste montar a caballo, ahora tienes la oportunidad
to jump or leap at the chanceaprovechar la oportunidad or ocasión, no dejar escapar la oportunidad or ocasión
it's the chance of a lifetimees la oportunidad de mi/tu/su vida
to have an eye on or to the main chanceestar a la que salta
to miss one's chanceperder la or su oportunidad
she's gone out, now's your chance!ha salido, ¡ésta es tu oportunidad!
they decided to give me a second chancedecidieron darme una segunda oportunidad
3. (= possibility) → posibilidad f
his chances of survival are slimtiene escasas posibilidades de sobrevivir, sus posibilidades de sobrevivir son escasas
the chances are thatlo más probable es que ...
it has a one in 11,000 chance (of winning)tiene una posibilidad entre 11.000 (de ganar)
to have a good chance of successtener bastantes posibilidades de éxito
to be in with a chance (Brit) → tener muchas posibilidades
I had very little chance of winningtenía muy pocas posibilidades de ganar
he has no chance of winningno tiene ninguna posibilidad de ganar, no tiene posibilidad alguna de ganar
no chance! (refusing) → ¡ni hablar!; (dismissing a possibility) → ¡qué va!
there is a slight chance she may still be therepuede que exista una pequeña posibilidad de que todavía esté allí
they don't stand a chance (of winning)no tienen ninguna posibilidad or posibilidad alguna (de ganar)
he never stood a chance, the truck went straight into himno pudo hacer nada, el camión se fue derecho a él
see also fat A5
4. (= risk) → riesgo m
I'll take that chancecorreré ese riesgo, me arriesgaré
I'm not taking any chancesno quiero arriesgarme
you shouldn't take any chances where your health is concernedno deberías correr riesgos or arriesgarte cuando se trata de tu salud
we decided to take a chance on the weatherdecidimos arriesgarnos con el tiempo
B. VT
1. (= run the risk of) [+ rejection, fine] → arriesgarse a
to chance doing stharriesgarse a hacer algo
to chance itjugársela, arriesgarse
to chance one's arm or one's luckprobar suerte
2. (frm) (= happen) to chance to do sthhacer algo por casualidad
she chanced to look up at that momenten ese momento dio la casualidad de que levantó la vista or levantó la vista por casualidad
I chanced to catch sight of her as she passedla vi por casualidad cuando pasaba
C. CPD chance meeting Nencuentro m fortuito or casual
chance remark Ncomentario m casual
chance on chance upon VI + PREP [+ object] → tropezar(se) con, encontrar por casualidad; [+ person] → tropezar(se) con, encontrarse por casualidad con
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

chance

[ˈtʃɑːns]
n
(= luck, co-incidence) → hasard m
by chance → par hasard
We met by chance → Nous nous sommes rencontrés par hasard.
by any chance → par hasard
(= opportunity) → occasion f, possibilité f
I'd like to have a chance to travel → J'aimerais avoir l'occasion de voyager.
to have a chance to do sth (= be able to) → pouvoir faire qch
She put the phone down before I had a chance to reply → Elle a raccroché avant que je puisse répondre.
I'll write when I get the chance
BUT J'écrirai quand j'aurai un moment.
it's the chance of a lifetime → c'est une occasion unique
(= hope, likelihood) → chance f
Do you think I've got any chance? → Tu crois que j'ai une chance?
Their chances of winning are very good → Ils ont de fortes chances de gagner.
little chance of sb's doing sth
There is little chance of his coming → Il est peu probable qu'il vienne., Il y a peu de chances qu'il vienne.
the chances are (that) ... → il est très possible que ...
The chances are he won't come back → Il est très possible qu'il ne revienne pas.
to stand a chance → avoir une bonne chance
to stand no chance of doing sth → n'avoir aucune chance de faire qch
no chance! → pas question!
(= risk) to take a chance → prendre un risque
I'm taking no chances! → Je ne veux prendre aucun risque!
to take a chance on sth → prendre un risque sur qch
to take a chance on sb → tenter sa chance avec qn
vt
(= risk) to chance it → risquer (le coup)
(= happen) to chance to do sth → faire qch par hasard
adj (= unplanned) → fortuit(e), de hasard
A chance encounter with a journalist changed his life → Une rencontre fortuite avec un journaliste a changé sa vie.
chance on
vt fus
[+ thing] → trouver par hasard
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

chance

n
(= coincidence)Zufall m; (= luck, fortune)Glück nt; by chancedurch Zufall, zufällig; a game of chanceein Glücksspiel nt; would you by any chance be able to help?könnten Sie mir wohl or vielleicht behilflich sein?; to leave things to chancedie Dinge dem Zufall überlassen; to trust to chanceauf sein Glück vertrauen
(= possibility)Aussicht (→ en pl) f, → Chance (→ n pl) f; (= probability, likelihood)Möglichkeit f; (the) chances are that …aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach …, wahrscheinlich; the chances are against that happeningvieles spricht dagegen or die Wahrscheinlichkeit ist gering, dass das eintritt; what are the chances of him agreeing?wie sind die Aussichten or wie stehen die Chancen, dass er zustimmt?; what are the chances of his coming?wie groß ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass er kommt?; is there any chance of us meeting again?könnten wir uns vielleicht wiedersehen?; is there any chance he might be lost?besteht die Möglichkeit, dass er sich verirrt hat?; on the chance of finding her at homein der Hoffnung, sie zu Hause anzutreffen; he doesn’t stand or hasn’t got a chanceer hat keine(rlei) Chance(n); he doesn’t stand a chance of winninger hat keine Chance zu gewinnen; he has a good chance of winninger hat gute Aussicht zu gewinnen, er hat gute Siegeschancen; there will be a chance of rain on Thursdayam Donnerstag könnte es vereinzelt regnen; to be in with a chanceeine Chance haben; no chance! (inf)nee! (inf), → ist nicht drin (inf); will you lend me £50? — sorry, no chance (inf)leihst du mir £ 50? — bedaure, nichts zu machen or ist nicht drin (inf)
(= opportunity)Chance f; the chance of a lifetimeeine einmalige Chance; you won’t get another chance of going there or to go theredie Gelegenheit, dahin zu fahren, bietet sich (dir) nicht noch einmal; you won’t get another chancedas ist eine einmalige Gelegenheit; I had the chance to go or of goingich hatte (die) Gelegenheit, dahin zu gehen; now’s your chance!das ist deine Chance!; this is my big chancedas ist DIE Chance für mich; to take one’s chancedie Gelegenheit nutzen; to have an eye to the main chance (pej)nur auf seinen Vorteil bedacht sein; he never had a chance in lifeer hat im Leben nie eine Chance gehabt; give me a chance!nun mach aber mal langsam (inf); to give somebody a chancejdm eine Chance geben; you never gave me a chance to explaindu hast mir ja nie die Chance gegeben, das zu erklären; chance would be a fine thing! (inf)schön wärs!
(= risk)Risiko nt; to take a chancees darauf ankommen lassen; aren’t you taking a bit of a chance?ist das nicht ein bisschen riskant?; he’s not taking any chanceser geht kein Risiko ein
attrzufällig; chance meetingzufällige Begegnung
vi it chanced that …es traf or fügte (geh)sich, dass …
vt
to chance to do somethingzufällig etw tun
I’ll chance it! (inf)ich versuchs mal (inf); to chance one’s arm (inf)(et)was riskieren; to chance one’s luck (= have a try)sein Glück versuchen; (= risk)das Glück herausfordern; I’ll just have to chance that happeningdas muss ich eben riskieren
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

chance

[tʃɑːns]
1. n
a. (possibility) → probabilità f inv
the chances are that ... → probabilmente..., è probabile che... + sub
he doesn't stand or he hasn't a chance of winning → non ha nessuna possibilità di vittoria
there is little chance of his coming → è molto improbabile che venga
b. (opportunity) → possibilità f inv, occasione f
it's the chance of a lifetime → è un'occasione unica
he never had a chance in life → non ha mai avuto nessuna possibilità nella vita
to give sb a chance to do sth → dare a qn la possibilità (di fare qc)
to have an eye to the main chance (pej) → essere sempre pronto/a ad approfittare, non perdere occasioni
c. (risk) → rischio
an element of chance → una parte di fortuna
to take a chance → rischiare
I'm taking no chances → non voglio lasciar niente al caso
d. (luck) → caso
game of chance → gioco d'azzardo
by chance → per caso
do you by any chance know each other? → per caso vi conoscete?
to leave nothing to chance → non lasciare nulla al caso
2. vt (happen) to chance to do sth (frm) → fare per caso qc
I'll chance it (risk) → ci provo, rischio
3. adj (meeting, remark, error) → casuale, fortuito/a
chance on chance upon vi + prep (person) → incontrare per caso, imbattersi in; (thing) → trovare per caso
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

chance

(tʃaːns) noun
1. luck or fortune. It was by chance that I found out the truth.
2. an opportunity. Now you have a chance to do well.
3. a possibility. He has no chance of winning.
4. (a) risk. There's an element of chance in this business deal.
verb
1. to risk. I may be too late but I'll just have to chance it.
2. to happen accidentally or unexpectedly. I chanced to see him last week.
adjective
happening unexpectedly. a chance meeting.
ˈchancy adjective
risky or uncertain. a chancy arrangement.
chance on/upon
1. to meet by accident. I chanced on a friend of yours.
2. to discover by accident. I chanced upon some information.
by any chance
used in enquiring about the possibility of something. Are you by any chance free tonight?
by chance
by luck; without planning. They met by chance.
an even chance
equal probability for and against. We have an even chance of success.
the chances are
it is likely (that). The chances are he can't come tomorrow.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

chance

فُرْصَة šance chance Wahrscheinlichkeit πιθανότητα oportunidad, posibilidad tilaisuus hasard šansa possibilità 見込み 기회 kans sjanse szansa chance, oportunidade возможность chans โอกาส şans cơ hội 机会
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

chance

n posibilidad f; casualidad f; There’s maybe one chance in a hundred..Puede haber una posibilidad entre cien; by — por casualidad
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
If we assume as the historians do that great men lead humanity to the attainment of certain ends- the greatness of Russia or of France, the balance of power in Europe, the diffusion of the ideas of the Revolution general progress or anything else- then it is impossible to explain the facts of history without introducing the conceptions of chance and genius.
"We may congratulate each other on the chance of leaving this horrible place."
Meantime, Queequeg's impulsive, indifferent sword, sometimes hitting the woof slantingly, or crookedly, or strongly, or weakly, as the case might be; and by this difference in the concluding blow producing a corresponding contrast in the final aspect of the completed fabric; this savage's sword, thought I, which thus finally shapes and fashions both warp and woof; this easy, indifferent sword must be chance --aye, chance, free will, and necessity --no wise incompatible --all interweavingly working together.
Darkness must shroud his approach to the ship's side, for should he be sighted by Tarzan or Lady Greystoke he would have no chance to board the vessel.
"A fellow has now no chance of promotion unless he jumps into the muzzle of a gun and crawls out of the touch-hole."
Mrs d'Urberville's son had called on horseback, having been riding by chance in the direction of Marlott.
And it is all my poetisation and aspiration to compose and collect into unity what is fragment and riddle and fearful chance.
You always stand a better chance if you're engaged by the firm already."
When the sexes are separated, although the male and female flowers may be produced on the same tree, we can see that pollen must be regularly carried from flower to flower; and this will give a better chance of pollen being occasionally carried from tree to tree.
If he can't, we shall have another chance of catching them in the shrubbery, before many more nights are over our heads."
His own life depended upon the chance of his eluding, or outdistancing Achmet Zek, when that worthy should have discovered that he had escaped.
Every one breakfasted at a different hour in the Red House, and the Squire was always the latest, giving a long chance to a rather feeble morning appetite before he tried it.