chance occurrence

USAGE SUMMARY

"chance occurrence" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It refers to something that happens by luck or coincidence, without any particular plan or intention. Example: "The meeting was delayed due to a chance occurrence of heavy traffic on the highway."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 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

"If you make a general statement that voting machines are 99.8percentt accurate, that sounds great -- but to a statistician, that means that the last two-tenths can come down to chance occurrence".

The New York Times

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

Instead of being a chance occurrence, Langerman believes the incident was "totally foreseeable... and totally preventable".

Science Magazine

Given the random nature of evolution, it is perhaps helpful to examine the relationship of species variation and chance occurrence.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

This is displayed below with an animation to help you imagine the chance occurrence of species variation.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

It is highly unlikely that the consistent production of unjust and disproportionately disadvantageous effects would be a chance occurrence.

SEP

In any non-deterministic environment, unexpected events can indicate true changes in the world (and require behavioural adaptation) or reflect chance occurrence (and must be discounted).

NeuroImage

We have emulated this chance occurrence by extending the host range accessible to the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes by the intestinal route to include the mouse.

Cell

Only patterns with a very low probability of chance occurrence (i.e., a low p-value) were considered evidence for valid hepatotoxicity structural alerts.

Journal of Cheminformatics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing the probability of an event, clarify whether the "chance occurrence" supports or contradicts a hypothesis.

Common error

Avoid assuming a causal relationship simply because of a "chance occurrence". Correlation does not equal causation; further investigation is needed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "chance occurrence" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes an event or situation that happens randomly or unexpectedly, without a specific plan or intention, as supported by the examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

61%

News & Media

24%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "chance occurrence" is a common noun phrase used to describe events that happen randomly or unexpectedly. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. Its frequency is high, particularly in scientific and news contexts. When using this phrase, it's crucial to avoid assuming causation and to clarify the event's implications. Alternatives include "random event" or "coincidental event", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

chance event

Shortens the phrase, maintaining the core meaning of randomness.

random event

Focuses on the randomness of the event, omitting the 'occurrence' aspect.

coincidental event

Highlights the coincidental nature, rather than pure chance.

fluke event

Emphasizes the improbable and lucky nature of the event.

accidental happening

Replaces "occurrence" with "happening", emphasizing lack of intention.

fortuitous incident

Highlights the positive or beneficial aspect of the chance event.

unforeseen circumstance

Shifts the focus to the unexpected nature of the event's context.

random incidence

A more formal alternative, appropriate for scientific or statistical contexts.

statistical anomaly

Focuses on the deviation from expected statistical patterns.

unexpected development

Highlights the surprise element and evolution of events.

FAQs

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

You can use "chance occurrence" to describe an event that happens randomly or unexpectedly. For example, "The discovery was a result of a "chance occurrence" during the experiment".

What's a good alternative to "chance occurrence"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "random event", "coincidental event", or "fluke event".

Is "chance occurrence" formal or informal?

"Chance occurrence" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and the overall tone of your writing.

When is it inappropriate to use "chance occurrence"?

Avoid using "chance occurrence" when you want to emphasize a deliberate or planned action. In such cases, terms like "intentional action" or "strategic move" would be more appropriate.