opportunity
Americannoun
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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
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.
About the authors: Jon Hartley is a policy fellow at the Hoover Institution and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Anthony Rendon, 58, was state Assembly Speaker from 2016-23, previously directed Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services and served as chief operating officer for Mexican American Opportunity Foundation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Yet children born to low-earning parents in 1992 had a harder time moving into the middle class than the previous generation, according to research from Opportunity Insights, a Harvard-based institute that studies economic mobility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
Initiatives like the $15 million Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge encourage the development of statewide talent marketplaces to break down silos among students, training providers and employers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
And then, “Last night was my first night in Opportunity Hall. And I couldn’t sleep at all. I feel horrible.”
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
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.
