as a matter of chance

USAGE SUMMARY

"as a matter of chance" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It means that something happened by coincidence or luck. Example: "As a matter of chance, I ran into my old friend at the grocery store yesterday."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

The narrator's first expedition into the interior of Guyana to go diamond hunting, or "porknocking," comes about as a matter of chance.

The New York Times - Books

As a result, many of the polls on this list could have found a margin of 1 or 2 or 3 points favoring Obama purely as a matter of chance.

Huffington Post

Therefore, this random number generator made it very difficult to determine the correctness of the port of PanGIA from Cytoscape 2 to Cytoscape 3, since different clustering arrangements occurred simply as a matter of chance.

F1000Research

Even if these three independent and remarkably consistent observations were dismissed as a matter of chance, the recently completed ANZ Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Clinical Trials Group prospective study of septic patients in more than 30 hospitals (soon to be presented at the 2008 Brussels meeting) also found a 27% mortality rate.

Critical Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Some of the Yankees view the streak as a statistical anomaly, a matter of chance unrelated to Martínez, in a sense, because he is uniformly overpowering.

The New York Times - Sports

As always, it was a matter of chance and public response, but in hindsight, we can say that for about 15 years, under the leadership of the producer Arthur Freed, Metro made a succession of musicals that now looks like a campaign to keep people cheerful as war ended and darker threats loomed.

The Guardian - Film

If one were to view the chances of being overeducated, conditional on graduation, as to a considerable extent a matter of chance, then the risks have also increased.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Getting caught is often a matter of chance — as with embezzlement and fraud, people almost never get caught with the first, cautious misstep.

The New York Times

There seems to be a lack of compassion within the system … where systems do exist it is a matter of chance as to whether they work".

The Guardian

In particular, when two or more variables are highly correlated it can be a matter of chance as to which enters the equation.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Response is largely a matter of chance as to which individual cells achieve the requisite set of genetic changes, and the modeling of such chance events (among individuals who are not otherwise notably different) is often assumed to be the driver of the dose-response phenomenon.

Critical Reviews in Toxicology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "as a matter of chance" when you want to emphasize that an event occurred without planning or intention, highlighting the role of randomness or luck. This phrase is suitable in both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "as a matter of chance" when you actually mean something resulted from a deliberate decision. "Choice" implies agency and intention, while "chance" indicates randomness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "as a matter of chance" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to indicate that an event occurred randomly or due to unpredictable circumstances. It specifies the manner in which something happened, highlighting the absence of planning or intent. Ludwig provides various examples of this usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "as a matter of chance" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase that indicates something happens randomly or due to luck. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. While not exceedingly common, it finds application in both news, media and scientific writing and speech, conveying a sense of unplanned or accidental occurrence. Related phrases include "as a matter of coincidence" and "as a matter of luck". A key writing tip is to ensure that you're accurately portraying randomness, and not a deliberate decision. This phrase is a useful tool for accurately describing events where chance played a significant role.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

as a matter of fortune

Replaces 'chance' with 'fortune', emphasizing the role of luck but potentially implying a more positive outcome.

as a matter of luck

Directly replaces 'chance' with 'luck', emphasizing the role of good or bad fortune.

as a matter of coincidence

Substitutes 'chance' with 'coincidence', highlighting the unplanned convergence of events.

by happenstance

Replaces the entire phrase with a single word that encapsulates the idea of a chance occurrence.

as a matter of accident

Uses 'accident' instead of 'chance', often suggesting an unintended or undesirable outcome.

purely by accident

Adds emphasis to the accidental nature of the event, suggesting it was entirely unplanned.

as a matter of probability

Replaces 'chance' with 'probability', focusing on the statistical likelihood of an event occurring.

by random occurrence

Emphasizes the randomness of the event, suggesting no discernible pattern or cause.

due to unforeseen factors

Similar to the previous phrase, but emphasizes the elements that could not be anticipated.

owing to unforeseen circumstances

Highlights the unexpected and unpredictable nature of the situation leading to the outcome.

FAQs

How can I use "as a matter of chance" in a sentence?

Use "as a matter of chance" to describe an event that occurred randomly or due to luck, such as, "As a matter of chance, I found the missing document while cleaning my desk".

What's the difference between "as a matter of chance" and "as a matter of choice"?

"As a matter of chance" implies that something happened randomly or due to luck. In contrast, "as a matter of choice" indicates a deliberate decision was made.

Which phrase is more formal, "as a matter of chance" or "by accident"?

"As a matter of chance" generally carries a slightly more formal tone than "by accident", although both are widely acceptable.

What are some alternatives to "as a matter of chance"?

Alternatives include "as a matter of coincidence", "as a matter of luck", or "by happenstance", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.