- a method of raising money by selling numbered tickets and giving a proportion of the money raised to holders of numbers drawn at random
- a similar method of raising money in which players select a small group of numbers out of a larger group printed on a ticket. If a player's selection matches some or all of the numbers drawn at random the player wins a proportion of the prize fund
- an activity or endeavour the success of which is regarded as a matter of fate or luck
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
lot•ter•y /ˈlɑtəri/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -ter•ies.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a gambling game or method of raising money in which a large number of tickets are sold and a drawing is held for prizes.
- a drawing of lots.
- something whose outcome appears to be determined by chance:Life is a lottery.
lot•ter•y
(lot′ə rē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ter•ies.
- a gambling game or method of raising money, as for some public charitable purpose, in which a large number of tickets are sold and a drawing is held for certain prizes.
- any scheme for the distribution of prizes by chance.
- any happening or process that is or appears to be determined by chance:to look upon life as a lottery.
- Middle Dutch loterie (whence also French loterie). See lot, -ery
- 1560–70
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
lottery /ˈlɒtərɪ/ n ( pl -teries)
'lottery' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
additionality
- art union
- come up
- draw
- handicap
- lotto
- numbers game
- postcode lottery
- prize
- raffle
- sweepstake
- Tattersall's
- tombola
- bet
- bolita
- chance
- congratulation
- consultation
- day job
- drawing
- drop
- high
- instant
- life of Riley
- listen
- numbers pool
- pakapoo
- policy
- pot of gold
- tern
- tirage
- straw
- sweepstakes