lottery
Americannoun
-
a gambling game or method of raising money, as for some public charitable purpose, in which a large number of tickets are sold and a drawing is held for certain prizes.
-
any scheme for the distribution of prizes by chance.
-
any happening or process that is or appears to be determined by chance.
to look upon life as a lottery.
noun
-
a method of raising money by selling numbered tickets and giving a proportion of the money raised to holders of numbers drawn at random
-
a similar method of raising money in which players select a small group of numbers out of a larger group printed on a ticket. If a player's selection matches some or all of the numbers drawn at random the player wins a proportion of the prize fund
-
an activity or endeavour the success of which is regarded as a matter of fate or luck
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of lottery
First recorded in 1560–70, lottery is from the Middle Dutch word loterie (whence also French loterie ). See lot, -ery
Explanation
A lottery is a contest where players buy tickets and have a random (and low) chance of winning. Finding true love and getting hit by lightning are often said to be as likely as winning the lottery. A lottery can be a state-run contest promising big bucks to the lucky winners, or a lottery can also be any contest where the winners are selected at random. For example, some schools choose students by using a lottery system. Regardless of the type of lottery, a lottery works where there is great demand for something and only a limited number of winners.
Vocabulary lists containing lottery
Workshop 3, Part 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 16–April 22, 2022
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The water supply worker had given the police officer CPR when he collapsed on a bus in April 2020, and netted the huge lottery prize shortly after.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
This year’s lottery to get parking spots for the park’s eight-night official viewing period, when activity was expected to peak, attracted more than 45,000 applicants.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
She’s still holding out hope this year’s lottery wasn’t a flash in the pan and she’ll have another chance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Without this reform, no one would expect the Luka Lakers to be a lottery team.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
The numbers, the equivalent of today’s lottery, were the dreams of Harlem and Mama’s only hope to do more with the little money Dad gave her each week.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
