opportunity
Americannoun
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opportunities
plural
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an appropriate or favorable time or occasion.
Their meeting afforded an opportunity to exchange views.
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a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.
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a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.
noun
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a favourable, appropriate, or advantageous combination of circumstances
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a chance or prospect
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of opportunity
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English opportunite, from Middle French, from Latin opportūnitās “convenience, fitness,” equivalent to opportūn(us) ( see opportune) + -itās -ity
Explanation
Seize the noun, opportunity, if you're talking about circumstances that allow you do to something you'd like to do. Wouldn't you love to have the opportunity to meet your favorite musician? When the situation is right for you to do something you're interested in doing, you have the opportunity to do it. The word comes from the Latin phrase, ob portum veniens "coming toward a port" which refers to a favorable wind blowing ships into the harbor. Think of an opportunity as something a good wind blew your way.
Vocabulary lists containing opportunity
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Words for a New Year
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
See Examples For:
"We will raise this issue with the UK government at the earliest possible opportunity," they added.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Vision Theatre’s reopening is expected to bring thousands of new patrons to Leimert Park, giving surrounding small businesses an opportunity to boost their bottom lines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
McHale also didn’t miss the opportunity to promote a new bridal loungewear collection from her rising fashion line, Phe Phe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
"This money was crucial to me as it gave me the opportunity to study in a very expensive city without the need for part-time work," Dray said.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Danny felt his opportunity of seeing his sister slip away.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Exploring acting opportunities and running her business, As Ever, will fill her time once her family is settled.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
His original goal was to bring the skills he learned from Palestinian militants back to South America, but the financial opportunities were better outside the Western Hemisphere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
“But we can still bring the sound mixing, the editing, the scoring, the visual effects — all of those incredible job opportunities to California.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Silenskyte said it’s important to remember that spotting a market bottom is tough and buying opportunities often emerge earlier when sentiment is low and prices have had a reset, but fundamentals point toward recovery.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Second, Jefferson suggested that Adams’s description of aristocratic power was appropriate for Europe, where feudal privileges, family titles, and more limited economic opportunities created conditions that sustained class distinctions.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
