Pronunciation: /baɪ tʃæns/

Definitions of by chance

noun chance is a noun that refers to a possibility of something happening without planning or design.

Example Sentences

A1 I found the missing puzzle piece by chance.

A2 By chance, I ran into my old friend at the grocery store.

B1 She stumbled upon a rare book in the library by chance.

B2 By chance, they discovered a hidden treasure in the old mansion.

C1 The scientist's groundbreaking discovery was made purely by chance.

C2 By chance, the artist's work was discovered by a famous art collector and became highly sought after.

adverb by chance is an adverb because it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb by indicating that something happened unexpectedly or without planning.

Example Sentences

A1 I met my best friend by chance at the grocery store.

A2 By chance, I found a five dollar bill on the sidewalk.

B1 By chance, I happened to run into my old high school teacher at the airport.

B2 She stumbled upon the rare book by chance while browsing through a second-hand bookstore.

C1 By chance, the two scientists discovered a new species of plant in the rainforest.

C2 The artist's masterpiece was created by chance, as he let his creativity flow freely without a plan.

preposition by is a preposition that shows the relationship between 'chance' and the action being described.

Example Sentences

A1 I found my lost keys by chance while cleaning the house.

A2 By chance, I bumped into an old friend at the grocery store.

B1 She won the lottery by chance, never expecting to be so lucky.

B2 By chance, I discovered a hidden talent for painting during a weekend workshop.

C1 The scientist stumbled upon a groundbreaking discovery by chance while conducting unrelated research.

C2 By chance, the two artists met at a gallery opening and decided to collaborate on a project together.

Examples of by chance in a Sentence

formal By chance, I happened to run into my old college professor at the conference.

informal I saw my ex-girlfriend at the mall by chance.

slang I found this cool vintage jacket at the thrift store by chance.

figurative By chance, the two rival gangs ended up sitting at the same table and surprisingly got along.

Grammatical Forms of by chance

past tense

by chanced

plural

by chances

comparative

more by chance

superlative

most by chance

present tense

by chance

future tense

will by chance

perfect tense

have by chanced

continuous tense

is by chancing

singular

by chance

positive degree

by chance

infinitive

to by chance

gerund

by chancing

participle

by chanced

Origin and Evolution of by chance

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'by chance' originated from Middle English, where 'by' meant 'through' or 'via' and 'chance' referred to luck or fortune.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'by chance' has retained its original meaning of something happening unexpectedly or without planning, but has also come to be used more broadly to describe any occurrence that is not deliberately caused or planned.