opportunity
Americannoun
plural
opportunities-
an appropriate or favorable time or occasion.
Their meeting afforded an opportunity to exchange views.
-
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
Explanation
Seize the noun, opportunity, if you're talking about circumstances that allow you do to something you'd like to do. Wouldn't you love to have the opportunity to meet your favorite musician? When the situation is right for you to do something you're interested in doing, you have the opportunity to do it. The word comes from the Latin phrase, ob portum veniens "coming toward a port" which refers to a favorable wind blowing ships into the harbor. Think of an opportunity as something a good wind blew your way.
Vocabulary lists containing opportunity
Figurative Language in King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Words for a New Year
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
Worse still for the Edinburgh side, Rangers would be handed the opportunity to leapfrog both and go top should they win away to sixth-placed Falkirk on Sunday.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
AI is altering nearly every aspect of the job process, and you can think of that as an opportunity.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026
With this in mind, sharp rallies in the equity market should be viewed not as normalization, but as an opportunity to “buy” volatility on temporary easing in stress.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
The Vatican said on Friday that the characterization of the meeting in the report was inaccurate, saying instead it “provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on matters of mutual interest.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
“I think you’ll soon see it’s an opportunity to excel.”
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.
