Meaning of by chance in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Adverb
    1. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    US accent

    UK accent

  1. Adverb

    by chance

    Definitions

    1. in an incidental manner

    Examples

    • « these magnificent achievements were only incidentally influenced by Oriental models »
  2. 2. through chance, "To sleep, perchance to dream.."
  3. 3. by accident

    Examples

    • « betrayed by a word haply overheard »
  4. 4. without advance planning

    Examples

    • « they met accidentally »

    Antonyms

Famous quotes

  • « But, in the name of the experimental method and out of our poor knowledge, are we really entitled to claim that everything happens by chance, to the exclusion of all other possibilities? »
    Albert Claude
  • « There are moments in life, when the heart is so full of emotion That if by chance it be shaken, or into its depths like a pebble Drops some careless word, it overflows, and its secret, Spilt on the ground like water, can never be gathered together. »
    Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  • « No human being will ever know the Truth, for even if they happen to say it by chance, they would not even known they had done so. »
    Xenophanes
  • « Many a happiness in life, as many a disaster, can be due to chance, but the peace within us can never be governed by chance. »
    Maurice Maeterlinck
  • « Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence. »
    Abigail Adams

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