lottery

[ lot-uh-ree ]

See synonyms for lottery on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural lot·ter·ies.

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.

Origin of lottery

First recorded in 1560–70, lottery is from the Middle Dutch word loterie (whence also French loterie). See lot, -ery

Other words from lottery

an·ti·lot·ter·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lottery in a sentence

But they suggest that, when we talk about democracy, we should at least talk about lotteries, too.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives? | Michael Schulson | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Blame the rise of casinos, state lotteries, and other legally sanctioned forms of gambling.
It’s Kentucky Derby Day, but What About the Rest of Horse Racing? | Dan Packel | May 5, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Wire Act now only restricts sports betting, not online lotteries, poker, or gambling in any other online forms.
Online Casinos Run by New York, Other States Will Target Gambling Addicts | Josh Axelrad | January 4, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Most states do not tax winnings from their own lotteries; the federal government, of course, taxes it all.
End the Government's Lottery Monopoly | Stephen L. Carter | April 23, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
But with lotteries, as with other forms of gambling, no such argument exists.
End the Government's Lottery Monopoly | Stephen L. Carter | April 23, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

The General Assembly encouraged the establishment of classical schools and academies via revenue secured from lotteries.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. Torpey
And whereas a great deal of money has been thrown about in lotteries, the following proposal would very easily perfect our work.
An Essay upon Projects | Daniel Defoe
Speak of the pleasure-loving character of the people, of horse-races and lotteries, of extravagance in all kinds of sport.
The Complete Club Book for Women | Caroline French Benton
The gamblers might perhaps appeal not only to the practices of their betters in the days of Fox, but to the public lotteries.
The English Utilitarians, Volume I. | Leslie Stephen
Martin went out onto the landing-stage, and looked about him as if he also had a stake in this, one of nature's great lotteries.
The Vultures | Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for lottery

lottery

/ (ˈlɒtərɪ) /

nounplural -teries

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

Origin of lottery

C16: from Old French loterie, from Middle Dutch loterije. See lot

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

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