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Synonyms

raffle

1 American  
[raf-uhl] / ˈræf əl /

noun

  1. a form of lottery in which a number of persons buy one or more chances to win a prize.

verb (used with object)

raffled, raffling

  1. to dispose of by a raffle (often followed byoff ).

    to raffle off a watch.

verb (used without object)

raffled, raffling

  1. to take part in a raffle.

raffle 2 American  
[raf-uhl] / ˈræf əl /

noun

  1. rubbish.

  2. Nautical. a tangle, as of ropes, canvas, etc.

raffle British  
/ ˈræfəl /

noun

    1. a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money

    2. ( as modifier )

      a raffle ticket
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to dispose of (goods) in a raffle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of raffle1

1350–1400; Middle English rafle dice game < Middle French, derivative of rafler to snatch; cf. raff

Origin of raffle2

First recorded in 1790–1800; raff + -le

Explanation

A raffle is a type of contest in which you buy a ticket for a chance to win a prize. After the tickets are sold, a drawing determines which ticket holds the winning number. People raffle off everything from fruit baskets to cars. You might enter a raffle at a school gathering, a fair, or another event. The proceeds from selling raffle tickets often go toward a good cause, like a charity. When a group holds a raffle, you can also say that they raffle the prizes off — your French club might raffle off a bicycle to raise money for your trip to Montreal, for example. A raffle was originally "a dice game."

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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.

Ian Steele, of Heywood, Greater Manchester, said he started "shaking like a leaf" when he realised his Euromillions Millionaire Raffle prize was not a mistake.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2025

Raffle prizes, Ivar’s clam chowder and warm beverages were available to participants and spectators.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2024

Andrea Raffle, the Republican National Committee's director for election integrity in Pennsylvania, told participants on the call they had already filled 6,000 poll watcher positions in the state this year, compared with 1,000 in 2020.

From Reuters • Oct. 13, 2022

The state director, Andrea Raffle, had worked alongside Ms. Mitchell for months on the event, one of the speakers told the attendees.

From New York Times • May 30, 2022

I thought that I would have to tell Granny about the World-Famous Betty Allen Cake Raffle, because it was exactly the kind of activity she would be interested in.

From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo

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.