How to Pronounce Chance
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Chance name meaning
First Name
50k
in the U.S.
since 1880
50k
in the U.S.
since 1880
Last Name
14k
in the U.S.
in 2010
14k
in the U.S.
in 2010
Girls
Boys
Meaning and Origin
What does the name Chance mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of Chance
User Submitted Origins
English
90%
American
10%
User Submitted Meanings
- A submission from Canada says the name Chance means "A gift against odds" and is of English origin.
- According to a user from Ohio, U.S., the name Chance means "A gift aginst god".
- A user from Massachusetts, U.S. says the name Chance means "Chancellor and good luck".
International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
noun Chance
Senses
- A supposed material or psychical agent or mode of activity other than a force, law, or purpose; fortune; fate; -- in this sense often personified."It is strictly and philosophically true in nature and reason that there is no such thing as chance or accident; it being evident that these words do not signify anything really existing, anything that is truly an agent or the cause of any event; but they signify merely men's ignorance of the real and immediate cause." [Samuel Clark.]"Any society into which chance might throw him." [Macaulay.]"That power Which erring men call Chance." [Milton.]
- The operation or activity of such agent."By chance a priest came down that way." [Luke x. 31.]
- The supposed effect of such an agent; something that befalls, as the result of unknown or unconsidered forces; the issue of uncertain conditions; an event not calculated upon; an unexpected occurrence; a happening; accident; fortuity; casualty."In the field of observation, chance favors only the mind that is prepared." [Louis Pasteur.]"It was a chance that happened to us." [1 Sam. vi. 9.]"The Knave of Diamonds tries his wily arts, And wins (O shameful chance!) the Queen of Hearts." [Pope.]"I spake of most disastrous chance." [Shak.]
- A possibility; a likelihood; an opportunity; -- with reference to a doubtful result; as, a chance to escape; a chance for life; the chances are all against him."So weary with disasters, tugged with fortune. That I would get my life on any chance, To mend it, or be rid on 't" [Shak.]
- [Math] Probability.
Note: Many of the everyday events which people observe and attribute to chance fall into the category described by Clark, as being in practice too complex for people to easily predict, but in theory predictable if one were to know the actions of the causal agents in great detail. At the subatomic level, however, there is much evidence to support the notion derived from Heisenberg's uncertaintly principle, that phenomena occur in nature which are truly randomly determined, not merely too complex to predict or observe accurately. Such phenomena, however, are observed only with one or a very small number of subatomic particles. When the probabilities of observed events are determined by the behavior of aggregates of millions of particles, the variations due to such quantum indeterminacy becomes so small as to be unobservable even over billions of repetitions, and may therefore be ignored in practical situations; such variations are so improbable that it would be irrational to condition anything of consequence upon the occurrence of such an improbable event. A clever experimenter, nevertheless, may contrive a system where a very visible event (such as the dynamiting of a building) depends on the occurrence of a truly chance subatomic event (such as the disintegration of a single radioactive nucleus). In such a contrived situation, one may accurately speak of an event determined by chance, in the sense of a random occurrence completely unpredictable, at least as to time.
Note: This quotation is usually found in the form "Chance favors the prepared mind." It is a common rejoinder to the assertion that a scientist was "lucky" to have made some particular discovery because of unanticipated factors. A related quotation, from the Nobel-Prize-winning chemist R. B. Woodward, is that "A scientist has to work wery hard to get to the point where he can be lucky."
Note: ☞ The mathematical expression, of a chance is the ratio of frequency with which an event happens in the long run. If an event may happen in a ways and may fail in b ways, and each of these a + b ways is equally likely, the chance, or probability, that the event will happen is measured by the fraction a/a + b , and the chance, or probability, that it will fail is measured by b/a + b .
Etymology: F. chance, OF. cheance, fr. LL. cadentia a allusion to the falling of the dice), fr. L. cadere to fall; akin to Skr. çad to fall, L. cedere to yield, E. cede. Cf. Cadence
verb Chance
To happen, come, or arrive, without design or expectation.
Note: Often used impersonally; as, how chances it?
verb Chance
Senses
- To take the chances of; to venture upon; -- usually with it as object."Come what will, I will chance it." [W. D. Howells.]
- To befall; to happen to.(Obs)
adjective Chance
Happening by chance; casual.
adverb Chance
By chance; perchance.
Other Dictionary Sources
- A risk involving danger ("you take a chance when you let her drive")
- 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 ("if that phone call is for me, chances are it's my wife")
- An unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another ("we ran into each other by pure chance")
- The possibility of future success
- A possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances ("now is your chance")
- Come upon, as if by accident; meet with ("She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day")
- Take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
- Be the case by chance ("I chanced to meet my old friend in the street")
- Occurring or appearing or singled out by chance ("a chance occurrence")
Wiktionary
Borrowing from Old French chance (“accident, chance, luck”), from Vulgar Latin *cadentia (“falling”), from Latin cadō (“I fall, I die”). Doublet of cadence and cadenza.
- (countable) An opportunity or possibility.
- We had the to meet the president last week.
-
- (uncountable) Random occurrence; luck.
- Why leave it to when a few simple steps will secure the desired outcome?
-
- (countable) The probability of something happening.
- There is a 30 percent of rain tomorrow.
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- (countable, archaic) What befalls or happens to a person; their lot or fate.
chance was also found in the following language(s): Danish, French, Italian, Old French, Portuguese, and Spanish
Notable Persons Named Chance
Notable Persons Named Chance
Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper is a hip hop music rapping, singing, songwriter, and actor. He plays Vocals and Human voice. His ongoing career started in 2011. Chance was given the name Chancelor Bennett on April 16th, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Chance is also known as Chano and Lil' Chano from 79th.
Chance Kelly
Chance Kelly is an actor. His ongoing career started in 1995.
Chance Warmack
Chance Warmack is a football player for the Tennessee Titans. He has been prominent since 2013. Chance was born on September 14th, 1991 in Detroit.
Chance Russell Phelps
His military service ended in 2004. Chance was born on July 14th, 1984 in Riverton, Wyoming. He left this life on April 9th, 2004.
Chance Mock
Chance Mock is a football player. Chance was born on December 10th, 1981 in Lubbock, Texas.
Chance
Chance is a comics character.
Notable Persons With the Last Name Chance
Notable Persons With the Last Name Chance
Greyson Chance
Greyson Chance is a pop rock, electronic music, dance-pop, and funk singer-songwriter. He plays Piano, Ukulele, and Vocals. He has been prominent since 2010. Greyson was given the name Greyson Michael Chance on August 16th, 1997 in Wichita Falls, Texas.
James Chance
James Chance is a no wave, dance-punk, punk jazz, and post-punk musician. He plays Alto saxophone, Keyboard instrument, and Vocals. His most notable accomplishments were from 1976 to present. James was given the name James Siegfried on April 20th, 1953 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. James is also known as James White.
Frank Chance
Frank Chance was a baseball player. Frank was born on September 9th, 1876 in Salida, California. He passed away on September 15th, 1924.
Dean Chance
Dean Chance was a baseball player. Dean was born on June 1st, 1941 in Wooster, Ohio. He passed away on October 11th, 2015.
Britton Chance
Britton Chance was a scientist in the fields of biophysics and biochemistry. Britton was born on July 24th, 1913. He breathed his last breath on November 16th, 2010.
Chance
Chance is a comics character.
- Bob ChanceBaseball Player
- James Timmins ChanceIndustrialist
- Olivia ChanceSoccer Player
Ethnicity Distribution
| Ethnicity | Chance | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| █ | White | 74.01% | 64.26% |
| █ | African American | 18.82% | 11.96% |
| █ | Asian, Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander | 0.79% | 4.85% |
| █ | American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.30% | 0.69% |
| █ | Two or More Ethnicities | 2.38% | 1.76% |
| █ | Hispanic or Latino | 2.69% | 16.26% |
Of Last Name Chance
People with the last name Chance are most frequently White or African American
Entire United States
Fun Facts about the name Chance
| #297 | Last Name First Names |
| #35 | Unique Boy Names |