a chance occurrence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a chance occurrence" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an event that happens unexpectedly or without planning. Example: "Winning the lottery was a chance occurrence that changed his life forever."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

"The good thing about its size is that it's probably more than just a chance occurrence," Dr. Barlow said.

The New York Times

Because that market-beating percentage is so much higher than for other newsletters, the sector-rotation newsletters' success is unlikely to be a chance occurrence.

The New York Times

You can assume that a chance occurrence like sporadic C.J.D. will happen at a steady rate over vast periods of time and among large populations.

The New York Times - Magazine

She has investigated the gang rape and says it was not a chance occurrence: "Liz had rejected advances from one of the boys, so he brought his friends to discipline her".

The Guardian

A chance occurrence may have hastened his arrest: A New York City police detective, hearing from F.B.I. agents around 2006 about the grisly murders and dismembering of two women in Albania, alerted Interpol to the similarities.

The New York Times

The woman's lung bacteria differed from those in her throat by seven DNA base pairs out of six million — a chance occurrence that allowed the researchers not only to identify her bacteria in other patients but also to know where they came from.

The New York Times - Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

9 human-written examples

In this model, the first phase was labelled the initiative and design phase, where a new chance occurrence initiated a new cooperative arrangement or a current arrangement is intensified.

BMC Health Services Research

The kappa can assume values between −1 and 1; 0 shows a complete chance occurrence and −1 or 1 show a completely determined occurrence.

British Journal of Cancer

Still, the data show a consistent pattern of effects across all behavioral measures that seems an unlikely chance occurrence.

Behavioral and Brain Functions

Now contemplate the idea that the entire history of humanity, along with that of all other monkeys, came about through a similar chance occurrence--a group of ancient primates making an unlikely rafting journey across the Tethys Sea.

Huffington Post

I don't like to give these shoots too much prior thought though, and there is a lot of chance occurrence, but generally I come up with a classic, celebrated, home movie event - like a birthday party or a walk in the snow.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a chance occurrence" to describe events that lack a predictable cause and are best understood as arising from random factors.

Common error

Avoid attributing complex or intentional causes to situations that are better explained as "a chance occurrence". Overanalyzing randomness can lead to flawed conclusions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a chance occurrence" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It identifies an event or situation as being the result of randomness rather than intention or design. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

44%

News & Media

39%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a chance occurrence" is a noun phrase used to describe events that happen unexpectedly and randomly. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent use in diverse contexts, particularly in science and news media. While alternatives like "random event" or "fortuitous event" exist, the specific choice depends on the desired nuance. When writing, use this phrase to accurately convey that an event lacks predictable cause, avoiding the temptation to overanalyze randomness and attribute complex causes where they don't exist.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

random event

Focuses on the randomness of the event, omitting the implication of infrequency.

fortuitous event

Emphasizes the fortunate or lucky aspect of the occurrence.

accidental happening

Highlights the unintentional nature of the event.

coincidental event

Stresses the simultaneous and unplanned nature of the occurrence.

unforeseen circumstance

Focuses on the unexpected nature of the situation.

unanticipated incident

Emphasizes the lack of expectation surrounding the event.

fluke occurrence

Suggests the event was an unusual and unlikely stroke of luck or chance.

random coincidence

Combines randomness with the idea of events aligning unexpectedly.

serendipitous event

Highlights a fortunate discovery made by accident.

one-off event

Emphasizes that this even happened only once and not repeated

FAQs

How can I use "a chance occurrence" in a sentence?

You can use "a chance occurrence" to describe events that happen unexpectedly and without planning. For example: "The discovery of the new drug was "a chance occurrence" that revolutionized medicine."

What are some alternatives to "a chance occurrence"?

You can use alternatives such as "random event", "fortuitous event", or "accidental happening" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "a chance occurrence" formal or informal?

"A chance occurrence" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although it appears more frequently in news and scientific writing. The level of formality depends more on the surrounding language than the phrase itself.

When is it appropriate to describe something as "a chance occurrence"?

It's appropriate when you want to emphasize that an event happened due to random luck or circumstances, rather than as a result of planning or deliberate action. If there were known contributing factors, it may not be fitting.