lottery
[noun]
Synonyms:
- raffle, draw, sweepstake
- gamble, chance, hazard, risk, toss-up (informal)

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

lot‧te‧ry /ˈlɒtəri $ ˈlɑː-/ noun (plural lotteries)
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: loterie, from Middle Dutch, from lot 'lot']

1. [countable] a game used to make money for a state or a charity in which people buy tickets with a series of numbers on them. If their number is picked by chance, they win money or a prize ⇒ raffle, draw:
a lottery ticket
Do you really think winning the lottery would make you happy?
national/state lottery

2. [uncountable and countable] American English a system of deciding who will get something by choosing people’s names by chance
by lottery
The State Department issues 55,000 visas each year by lottery.

3. a lottery a situation in which what happens depends on chance and is not certain to be successful:
That’s the trouble with capitalism. It’s a lottery.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

lottery
noun
ADJ. national, state
VERB + LOTTERY have, hold We're having a lottery to raise money for homeless families.
win
LOTTERY + VERB raise sth The lottery has raised millions of pounds.
LOTTERY + NOUN ticket | winner | jackpot, prize a £3 million lottery jackpot
funds
PREP. in a/the ~ I won my car in a lottery
on the ~ A couple have scooped £10 million on the national lottery.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲