Adjacent Words

Opportunity definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OPPORTU'NITY, n. [L. opportunitas.]
1. Fit or convenient time; a time favorable for the purpose; suitable time combined with other favorable circumstances. Suitableness of time is the predominant signification, but it includes generally circumstances of place and other conveniences adapted to the end desired.
A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
I had an opportunity to see the cloud descent.
Neglect no opportunity of doing good.
2. Convenient means. I had an opportunity of sending the letter, or no opportunity to send it. Opportunities rarely occur on frequently offer.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances; "the holiday gave us the opportunity to visit Washington"; "now is your chance" [syn: opportunity, chance]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -ties) Date: 14th century 1. a favorable juncture of circumstances <the halt provided an opportunity for rest and refreshment> 2. a good chance for advancement or progress

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 a good chance; a favourable occasion. 2 a chance or opening offered by circumstances. 3 good fortune. Phrases and idioms: opportunity knocks an opportunity occurs. Etymology: ME f. OF opportunité f. L opportunitas -tatis (as OPPORTUNE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Opportunity Op`por*tu"ni*ty, n.; pl. Opportunities. [F. opportunit['e], L. opportunitas. See Opportune.] 1. Fit or convenient time; a time or place favorable for executing a purpose; a suitable combination of conditions; suitable occasion; chance. A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. --Bacon. 2. Convenience of situation; fitness. [Obs.] Hull, a town of great strength and opportunity, both to sea and land affairs. --Milton. 3. Importunity; earnestness. [Obs.] --Jer. Taylor. Syn: Occasion; convenience; occurrence. Usage: Opportunity, Occasion. An occasion is that which falls in our way, or presents itself in the course of events; an opportunity is a convenience or fitness of time, place, etc., for the doing of a thing. Hence, occasions often make opportunities. The occasion of sickness may give opportunity for reflection.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(opportunities) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. An opportunity is a situation in which it is possible for you to do something that you want to do. I had an opportunity to go to New York and study... I want to see more opportunities for young people. ...equal opportunities in employment. = chance N-VAR: oft N to-inf, N for n/-ing see also photo opportunity

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Chance; fit, suitable, or favorable time; good chance, fitting occasion, nick of time, occasion, time.

Moby Thesaurus

a leg up, accidentality, actuarial calculation, adventitiousness, bout, break, casualness, chance, clear stage, destiny, fair field, fair game, fate, flukiness, fortuitousness, fortuity, fortune, gamble, go, good fortune, good luck, hap, happenstance, happy chance, heedless hap, hope, how they fall, indeterminacy, indeterminateness, inning, innings, juncture, law of averages, leisure, liberty, look-in, lot, luck, moira, moment, occasion, opening, opportunism, pass, place, possibility, prayer, principle of indeterminacy, probability, problematicness, random sample, relief, risk, room, round, run of luck, say, scope, serendipity, shot, show, space, spell, squeak, statistical probability, stepping-stone, the breaks, theory of probability, time, time at bat, turn, uncertainty, uncertainty principle, whack, whatever comes