Chance Comes From the Fall of Dice
Chance is the possibility of something happening. The Latin root means falling, as dice fall on a table.
Chance is the possibility that something will happen, and the absence of design behind it. The root is a falling: Latin *cadentia* means things falling, and the image is dice landing on a table. Two other English words come from the same fall — *cadence*, the falling of the voice, and *accident*, something that falls upon you.
- Possibility. *A slim chance.*
- An opportunity. *Give him a chance.*
- Luck. *By chance.*
- To risk. *Chance it.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | chance | A fair chance. |
| Plural | chances | The chances are slim. |
| Verb | chance | Chance your luck. |
| Adjective | chancy | A chancy business. |
| Related | cadence | A falling cadence. |
How it is used in a sentence
- We met by chance.Without planning.
- Chance would be a fine thing.British: I wish.
- He chanced upon the answer.Found it accidentally.
Words from *cadere*, to fall
- Chance — how the dice fall
- Cadence — the falling of the voice
- Accident — something that falls upon you
- Decay — falling away
- Cascade — a falling of water
From Old French *cheance*, from Vulgar Latin *cadentia*, a falling, from Latin *cadere*, to fall.
Chance or probability?
Probability is the measured likelihood. Chance is the everyday word and can also mean an opportunity.
Are chance and accident related?
Yes. Both come from the Latin verb meaning to fall, and both describe events that arrive without design.