raffle
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
raffles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
raffled,
past participle, past
-
raffling
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
raffles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
raffled,
past participle, past
-
raffling
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
rafflesimple
-
rafflessimple
-
have raffledperfect
-
has raffledperfect
-
am rafflingprogressive
-
are rafflingprogressive
-
is rafflingprogressive
-
have been rafflingperfect progressive
-
has been rafflingperfect progressive
Past
-
raffledsimple
-
had raffledperfect
-
was rafflingprogressive
-
were rafflingprogressive
-
had been rafflingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of raffle1
1350–1400; Middle English rafle dice game < Middle French, derivative of rafler to snatch; cf. raff
Origin of raffle2
Explanation
A raffle is a type of contest in which you buy a ticket for a chance to win a prize. After the tickets are sold, a drawing determines which ticket holds the winning number. People raffle off everything from fruit baskets to cars. You might enter a raffle at a school gathering, a fair, or another event. The proceeds from selling raffle tickets often go toward a good cause, like a charity. When a group holds a raffle, you can also say that they raffle the prizes off — your French club might raffle off a bicycle to raise money for your trip to Montreal, for example. A raffle was originally "a dice game."
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.
See Examples For:
"The raffle thing isn't worth putting my family through the drama," he wrote.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The raffle has become a family project, and their children have helped with promotion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Yamal’s family had entered a charity raffle organized by the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport and the United Nations Children’s Fund, known as UNICEF, and they won a spot in a promotional photo shoot with Messi.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
“My uncle took me to see a match. He had won two tickets in a raffle at his job,” Luna says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
They reproduced and grew up so fast that there was barely time to sell the tickets for the raffle.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
It raffles off free Cane’s for a year to a “Lucky 20” customers who show up within the first few hours of an opening, offering Caniacs another reason to camp outside in the parking lot.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
These might include old-school offerings like block parties, back-to-school events, give-aways and raffles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
"I don't see this becoming a trend," he said, adding house raffles were not something he had thought about when first setting up his company.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
They have held auctions, organized raffles and invited influencers to participate in promotional clips.
From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
He offered Seabiscuit mementoes for newspaper raffles and sent oversized Seabiscuit Christmas cards to scores of reporters.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
He campaigned on X to get the pay plan approved, and the company raffled off a chance for a tour of a Tesla production plant with the CEO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Between Thursday, June 19, and Sunday, June 22, participating chefs and restaurants throughout Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego are presenting unique pies to be sold or raffled whole or by the slice.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2025
Players on both teams wore memorial jerseys bearing Johnson's name and number, which will be raffled.
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2023
He autographed “Star Wars”-themed posters that are being raffled off.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 27, 2023
The swag Wilfrido raffled off was pretty cool.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
They thought it was funny and weird that the event was raffling off a chocolate cake, she said.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2023
He's already selling greeting cards, T-shirts, hats, wine glasses, footballs, placemats and Christmas ornaments, along with raffling off tickets to see him perform.
From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2022
Chen and Mandell are raffling hand pies and selling tortillas, respectively, for the fundraiser.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2022
In Russia, some companies tried convincing vaccine-doubters by raffling snowmobiles and cars.
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2021
“Yeah, Miss Battaglia, I’m sorry I’m a little late, but I had to take my little granchirren around the neighbor-hood. They raffling some rosaries for the sisters.”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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