Trivia Time

In its Latin origin, opportunity is linked to what idea?

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opportunity

American  

[op-er-too-ni-tee, -tyoo-] / ˌɒp ərˈtu nɪ ti, -ˈtju- /

noun

• opportunities
  plural

1. 

   an appropriate or favorable time or occasion.

   Their meeting afforded an opportunity to exchange views.

2. a situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.

3. a good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.

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opportunity British  

/ ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. a favourable, appropriate, or advantageous combination of circumstances

2. a chance or prospect

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• opportunities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of opportunity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English opportunite, from Middle French, from Latin opportūnitās “convenience, fitness,” equivalent to opportūn(us) ( see opportune) + -itās -ity

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

opportunity opportunities

"Breeding is part of good animal welfare, and so we want to make sure that they get the opportunity to do so."

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Startups are hoping to fill the gap, and insurance companies more broadly see AI down the road as a new opportunity for offering specialty products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

“I don’t really want to take it for granted for the opportunity to be able to play with these guys,” Ohtani said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

That gives scientists an unusual opportunity to track how a giant black hole responds as its supply of material changes.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

A moment later she was on the street, through the window of opportunity at last.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Microsoft sells applications and cloud services, giving it opportunities to design infrastructure around work its customers already perform.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

External enterprise demand, including third-party data center design-build-operate projects, could provide additional growth opportunities, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Scott has not said why she left this role but told BBC Sport she was "grateful" for the opportunities she had at Disney+ and hoped to "continue working together" in the future.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Well, I mean, there are a lot of intersections of opportunities for Elon Musk, and I also think he discovered, to use a phrase of his, the anomaly in the matrix for the American system.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

Being there: creating music-making opportunities in a childcare centre.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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Related Words

• convenience
• event
• excuse
• freedom
• hope
• moment
• space
• time

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