lottery

lottery — noun

1. a type of gambling run by a government or charity to raise money, where people b

1.nounB1
Definition

a type of gambling run by a government or charity to raise money, where people buy numbered tickets and prizes are given to those whose numbers are picked at random

Example

Christopher bought a lottery ticket every Friday, hoping to win the jackpot one day.

buy a lottery ticket

The state lottery raised millions of dollars for education last year.

state lottery for government-run schemes

Common collocations
  • lottery ticket
  • lottery winner
  • lottery jackpot
  • national lottery
  • state lottery
  • win the lottery
  • lottery draw
Synonyms
  • raffle

    similar idea of buying chances, but raffles usually have a smaller number of prizes and are often held for a single charity event rather than as a permanent system

  • drawing

    a more general term for any random selection of winners; less commercial than a lottery and may refer to a non-monetary prize

  • sweepstakes

    typically free to enter and used for promotions; prizes are often smaller and the selection method may not involve numbered tickets

Grammar Patterns

play + the + lottery

win + the + lottery

buy + a + lottery + ticket

Usage Note

Commonly modified by 'national', 'state', or 'charity' to specify the organizer. The phrase 'win the lottery' is a fixed expression widely used to describe sudden financial success, even when no actual lottery is involved.

Common Mistakes

I won a lottery from the store.
I bought a lottery ticket from the store.
The word 'lottery' refers to the game itself, not the slip of paper you buy.
The office held a lottery for the holiday gift exchange.
The office held a raffle for the holiday gift exchange.
A small, one-time drawing is usually called a 'raffle', not a 'lottery'.

2. a situation where the result depends entirely on good or bad luck, with little o

2.nounB2
Definition

a situation where the result depends entirely on good or bad luck, with little or no connection to how much effort or skill is involved

Example

Getting into that school is a lottery — it has nothing to do with your grades.

it's a lottery for unpredictable situations

Gabriel knew that finding a parking spot in the city centre was a complete lottery.

complete lottery for emphasis

Common collocations
  • it's a lottery
  • complete lottery
  • pure lottery
  • sheer lottery
  • be a lottery
Synonyms
  • gamble

    focuses on the decision to take a risky action, whereas 'lottery' emphasizes the lack of control over the outcome

  • crapshoot

    informal American term for a risky, uncertain situation; stronger negative tone than 'lottery'

  • matter of luck

    a more neutral and descriptive phrase; lacks the slightly critical tone of 'lottery' in this sense

Antonyms
  • sure thing

    a guaranteed outcome; the opposite of a lottery

  • guarantee

    something promised or assured; a lottery has no guarantees

Grammar Patterns

be + a + lottery

it + be + a + lottery

feel like + a + lottery

Usage Note

Nearly always appears in the singular with an indefinite article ('a lottery'). Common in the fixed expression 'it's a lottery', which expresses frustration with a system that seems unfair or unpredictable.

Common Mistakes

Life is a lottery game.
Life is a lottery.
In the metaphorical sense, 'lottery' already conveys the idea of chance; adding 'game' is redundant.
The outcome is like a lottery game.
The outcome is a lottery.
Use 'a lottery' directly; 'like a lottery game' is unnecessarily wordy.

Word family

  • lot
    nounB2
  • lotteries
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe a method of distributing prizes by random selection, but they differ in scale, purpose, and how participants enter. A 'lottery' is the broadest term — it is usually a large, ongoing system run by a government or charity for fundraising, where participants buy numbered tickets. A 'raffle' is smaller and event-specific; tickets are sold for a single drawing, and the prize is often donated. A 'sweepstakes' is typically free to enter and used for promotional purposes by companies; no purchase is required by law in many places. A 'drawing' is the most neutral and general term — it can describe any random selection of winners, from a school bake sale to a corporate giveaway. For example, you 'buy a lottery ticket' from a shop, you 'buy raffle tickets' at a community fair, you 'enter a sweepstakes' by mailing in a form, and the school 'holds a drawing' for a donated bicycle.

lottery ↗rafflesweepstakesdrawing ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • lottery system
  • lottery results

Phrases

  • like a lottery

Prepositions

  • in a/the lottery
  • through a/the lottery
  • into a/the lottery

Etymology

Middle DutchDutchEnglish

The word 'lottery' entered English in the 1500s from Middle Dutch 'loterije', which was formed from the word 'lot' meaning 'fate, destiny, or a share of something'. In medieval Europe, 'lots' were small objects (such as marked sticks or stones) that people drew from a container to make decisions or divide goods. The idea of a 'lottery' as a commercial game grew in the sixteenth century, when European governments began selling numbered tickets to raise money for public projects.