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Chance vs Choice - What's the difference?

chance | choice |

As nouns the difference between chance and choice

is that chance is an opportunity or possibility while choice is an option; a decision; an opportunity to choose or select something.

As adjectives the difference between chance and choice

is that chance is happening by chance, casual while choice is especially good or preferred.

As a verb chance

is to happen by chance, to occur.

As a proper noun Chance

is a given name derived from English, an American pet form of Chauncey, in modern usage also associated with the word chance.

chance

English

Alternative forms

* chaunce (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (countable) An opportunity or possibility.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=Here was my chance . I took the old man aside, and two or three glasses of Old Crow launched him into reminiscence.}}
  • (uncountable) Random occurrence; luck.
  • (countable) The probability of something happening.

    • Derived terms

    (Terms derived from the noun "chance") * Buckley's chance * by chance * chance'd be a fine thing * chance fracture * chance-medley * chancer * chances are * chancy * Chinaman's chance * dog's chance * even chance * fair chance * fat chance * fighting chance * first-chance exception * game of chance * half a chance * happy chance * in with a chance * jump at the chance * last chance * last chance saloon * main chance * mum chance * not a chance * off chance/off-chance * outside chance * perchance * slim chance * smart chance * snowball's chance * snowball's chance in hell * sporting chance * stand a chance

    Verb

    (chanc)
  • (archaic) To happen by chance, to occur.
    • It chanced that I found a solution the very next day.
  • * Bible, Deuteronomy xxii. 6
    • if a bird's nest chance to be before thee
  • * Shakespeare
    • I chanced on this letter.
  • * 1843 , (Thomas Carlyle), '', book 2, ch. XV, ''Practical — Devotional
    • Once it chanced that Geoffrey Riddell (Bishop of Ely), a Prelate rather troublesome to (w), made a request of him for timber from his woods towards certain edifices going on at (Glemsford).
  • * 1847 , , (Jane Eyre), Chapter XVIII
    • Mr. Mason, shivering as some one chanced to open the door, asked for more coal to be put on the fire, which had burnt out its flame, though its mass of cinder still shone hot and red. The footman who brought the coal, in going out, stopped near Mr. Eshton's chair, and said something to him in a low voice, of which I heard only the words, "old woman,"—"quite troublesome."
  • (archaic) To befall; to happen to.
  • * 1826 , William Lambarde, A Perambulation of Kent
  • To try or risk.
    • Shall we carry the umbrella, or chance a rainstorm?
  • * W. D. Howells
    • Come what will, I will chance it.
  • To discover something by chance.
    • He chanced upon a kindly stranger who showed him the way.

    Derived terms

    * (l) * * (l)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (rare) Happening]] by [[#Noun, chance, casual.
  • * 1859 , (Charles Dickens), (A Tale of Two Cities)'', ch. VI, ''The Shoe Maker (Heron Book Centenial Edition)
    • No crowd was about the door; no people were discernible at any of the many windows; not even a chance passer-by was in the street. An unnatural silence and desertion reigned there.

    References

    * *

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    choice

    English

    (wikipedia choice)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An option; a decision; an opportunity to choose or select something.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01
    • , author=Steven Sloman , title=The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation , volume=100, issue=1, page=74 , magazine= citation , passage=Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.}}
    Do I have a choice of what color to paint it?
  • One selection or preference; that which is chosen or decided; the outcome of a decision.
    • The ice cream sundae is a popular choice for dessert.
  • Anything that can be chosen.
  • The best or most preferable part.
  • * Milton
    • The flower and choice / Of many provinces from bound to bound.
  • Care and judgement in selecting; discrimination.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • I imagine they [the apothegms of Caesar] were collected with judgment and choice .
  • (obsolete) A sufficient number to choose among.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * (anything that can be chosen) assortment, range, selection * the cream * See also

    Related terms

    * choose * choosey * chosen * Hobson's choice

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Especially good or preferred.
    • It's a choice location, but you will pay more to live there.
  • (slang, New Zealand) Cool; excellent.
    • Choice ! I'm going to the movies.

    Synonyms

    * (especially good or preferred) prime, prize, quality, select

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words