Lexic.us

Definition of By chance

1. Adverb. Through chance,. "To sleep, perchance to dream.."

2. Adverb. By accident. "Betrayed by a word haply overheard"

3. Adverb. Without advance planning. "They met accidentally"

Definition of By chance

1. Prepositional phrase. Accidental(ly) or unexpected(ly). ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of By Chance

by-your-leaves by George by God by Jove by a long shot by a whisker by accident by all accounts by all means by all odds

by and by by and large by any chance by any means by artificial means by chance (current term) by choice by choice(p) by committee by default

by definition by degrees by design by dint of by ear by election by experimentation by far by fits and starts by foot

Literary usage of By chance

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (1831)
"He wae exalted on a shield in the presence, and amidst the unanimous acclamations of the troops ; a rich military collar, which was offered by chance, ..."

2. Education by Project Innovation (Organization) (1915)
"To taste the joys of successful work it must have been possible for him to have failed in all three. by chance BY CLARA J. ..."

3. Modern British Poetry by Louis Untermeyer (1920)
"Thomas was killed at Arras, at an observatory outpost, on Easter Monday, 1917. IF I SHOULD EVER by chance If I should ever by chance grow rich I'll buy ..."

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