opportunity
Americannoun
plural
opportunities-
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.
-
a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.
noun
-
a favourable, appropriate, or advantageous combination of circumstances
-
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) ( opportune ) + -itās -ity
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.
Farther north in Encino, Calif., Wilkinson is also representing an off-market opportunity.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
If the opportunity to launch in the 2030s is missed, the next favorable window may not arrive until the mid-2040s.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
"I know she's always wanted to go travelling and this was like the perfect opportunity for her to go and do it," says the 24-year-old finance assistant.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
"But the Miyako Odori is a one-hour show in which geisha and maiko have the opportunity to showcase the arts they practise daily," she said.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
“Alex, I understand why this is so scary, but you are doing a good thing. You are helping these people. Why not give them the opportunity to help you?”
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
