gambling
Americannoun
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the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes.
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the act or practice of risking the loss of something important by taking a chance or acting recklessly.
If you don't back up your data, that's gambling.
Etymology
Origin of gambling
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.
A string of high-profile European companies, including semiconductor company Arm and gambling group Flutter, have either gone public in the U.S. or moved their primary listings to the country in search of higher valuations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Prediction markets, such as Polymarket and Kalshi, are under debate regarding their classification as investing or gambling.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Proponents say charitable gambling keeps nonprofits solvent and lets them expand their missions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
But in 2019, under pressure from China, Hun Sen banned online gambling.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
The temperance folks had given America Prohibition, and had thrown in a ban on gambling while they were at it.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
