lottery
Americannoun
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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.
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any scheme for the distribution of prizes by chance.
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any happening or process that is or appears to be determined by chance.
to look upon life as a lottery.
noun
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a method of raising money by selling numbered tickets and giving a proportion of the money raised to holders of numbers drawn at random
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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
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an activity or endeavour the success of which is regarded as a matter of fate or luck
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lottery
First recorded in 1560–70, lottery is from the Middle Dutch word loterie (whence also French loterie ). See lot, -ery
Explanation
A lottery is a contest where players buy tickets and have a random (and low) chance of winning. Finding true love and getting hit by lightning are often said to be as likely as winning the lottery. A lottery can be a state-run contest promising big bucks to the lucky winners, or a lottery can also be any contest where the winners are selected at random. For example, some schools choose students by using a lottery system. Regardless of the type of lottery, a lottery works where there is great demand for something and only a limited number of winners.
Vocabulary lists containing lottery
Workshop 3, Part 1
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 1
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 16–April 22, 2022
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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.
"There are worries there could be a danger, but honestly I don't see people being very concerned," said David Parada, a lottery vendor.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
But according to Krawczyk: "The reality is that, appropriate end-of-life care is a postcode lottery" and doulas can help to fill those gaps in care.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
Five years of lottery missteps have produced exactly one current Sparks player, Cameron Brink, who’s been an injured bust.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
It held a lottery for the tickets among its three main supporters’ groups—the largest of which, the American Outlaws, has about 25,000 members.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
He held a book close to his eyes, then wagged it like a winning lottery ticket.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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.
