Definitions for lottery
ˈlɒt ə rilot·te·ry

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. lotterynoun

   something that is regarded as a chance event

   "the election was just a lottery to them"

2. lottery, drawingnoun

   players buy (or are given) chances and prizes are distributed by casting lots

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. lotterynoun

   A scheme for the distribution of prizes by lot or chance, especially a gaming scheme in which one or more tickets bearing particular numbers draw prizes, the other tickets are blanks.

2. lotterynoun

   An affair of chance.

3. lotterynoun

   Allotment; a thing allotted.

4. Etymology: from lotteria, from the same root as hlot (cognate with lot)

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Lotterynoun

   A game of chance; a sortilege; distribution of prizes by chance; a play in which lots are drawn for prizes.

   Etymology: lotterie, Fr. from lot.

   Let high-sighted tyranny range on,
   Till each man drop by lottery. William Shakespeare, Julius Cæsar.

   The lottery that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver, and lead, will never be chosen by any but whom you shall rightly love. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.

   Every warriour may be said to be a soldier of fortune, and the best commanders to have a kind of lottery for their work. Robert South, Sermons.

   Fortune, that with malicious joy
   Does man, her slave, oppress,
   Still various and unconstant still,
   Promotes, degrades, delights in strife,
   And makes a lottery of life. John Dryden, Horace.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Lottery

   A lottery (or lotto) is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments. The most common regulation is prohibition of sale to minors, and vendors must be licensed to sell lottery tickets. Although lotteries were common in the United States and some other countries during the 19th century, by the beginning of the 20th century, most forms of gambling, including lotteries and sweepstakes, were illegal in the U.S. and most of Europe as well as many other countries. This remained so until well after World War II. In the 1960s, casinos and lotteries began to re-appear throughout the world as a means for governments to raise revenue without raising taxes. Lotteries come in many formats. For example, the prize can be a fixed amount of cash or goods. In this format, there is risk to the organizer if insufficient tickets are sold. More commonly, the prize fund will be a fixed percentage of the receipts. A popular form of this is the "50–50" draw, where the organizers promise that the prize will be 50% of the revenue. Many recent lotteries allow purchasers to select the numbers on the lottery ticket, resulting in the possibility of multiple winners.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lottery

   A lottery is a type of game or event in which participants purchase tickets or chances to win, and winners are selected by a random draw. Prizes can range from small items to large sums of money, depending on the specific rules of the lottery. The outcome of a lottery is entirely based on chance and not influenced by any kind of skill or strategy. It is typically regulated by government authorities to ensure fairness and legality.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Lotterynoun

   a scheme for the distribution of prizes by lot or chance; esp., a gaming scheme in which one or more tickets bearing particular numbers draw prizes, and the rest of tickets are blanks. Fig. : An affair of chance

2. Lotterynoun

   allotment; thing allotted

3. Etymology: [Lot + -ery, as in brewery, bindery.]

WikidataRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Lottery

   A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize which may be a certain amount of money and is taxable if over a certain amount depending on the country and or state the lottery was drawn. Most lottery expenditures go to various institutions, primarily public school systems. Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments. At the beginning of the 20th century, most forms of gambling, including lotteries and sweepstakes, were illegal in many countries, including the U.S.A. and most of Europe. This remained so until after World War II. In the 1960s casinos and lotteries began to appear throughout the world as a means to raise revenue in addition to taxes. Lotteries come in many formats. For example, the prize can be a fixed amount of cash or goods. In this format there is risk to the organizer if insufficient tickets are sold. More commonly the prize fund will be a fixed percentage of the receipts. A popular form of this is the "50–50" draw where the organizers promise that the prize will be 50% of the revenue. Many recent lotteries allow purchasers to select the numbers on the lottery ticket, resulting in the possibility of multiple winners.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Lottery

   lot′ėr-i, n. a distribution of prizes by lot or chance: a game of chance.

Matched Categories

1. • Accident
   • Game Of Chance

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce lottery?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say lottery in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of lottery in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of lottery in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of lottery in a Sentence

1. Donna Sullivan:

   The climate got very bad, i think it would be better if the boys club was disbanded and the lottery would go back to doing business of the lottery -- giving money to education.

2. Paul Wondra:

   I was told by the Lottery people that, now you’re going to be that mecca, you sold a big ticket. You’re going to be the place to go. So far, it’s holding true.

3. Sarah Pierce:

   During the pandemic, so far, this administration has effectively ended asylum at the southern border, they've drastically decreased legal immigration, especially family-based immigration, into the country. They have effectively ended the diversity visa lottery and they've significantly decreased the number of temporary foreign workers coming into the country.

4. Thomas Fernsler:

   I got the call to come in and interview on Friday, Aug. 13, at 1:13 p.m. the 13th minute past the 13th hour, u.S. 13 is the route I had to take to get there. I bought a paper that day, and 103 was the winning lottery number. So I put a bet on a horse named Lucky Friday, who was running in the 13th race.

5. Shelley Clark:

   Brazil has actually done a lottery to have some low-income moms get day care and others not, mexico has started to look at options for expanding child care access for low-income families, and in India too, the government has supported some projects trying to expand access to child care, primarily in the rural areas.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=lottery
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Lottery
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=lottery
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lottery
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=lottery
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=lottery
9. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=lottery