due to chance

USAGE SUMMARY

"due to chance" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe something that happened as a result of luck rather than of planning. For example, "I was able to get a great parking spot due to chance."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But the likelihood it's due to chance?

The Washington Post

The difference was small and possibly due to chance.

Harvard University

The first possibility is that it is due to chance.

Nature

Some of those results may be due to chance.

The New York Times

ANOVA works by comparing variance estimates: one due to chance factors alone and one due to chance plus treatment effect (if there is a treatment effect).

International Encyclopedia of Education

It is also possible that some of the statistically significant findings were due to chance alone.

Fertility and Sterility

These bursts are not likely due to chance coincidence between single shower events.

Physics Letters A

Some oncologists agree with Merck and Schering that the cancer findings are probably due to chance.

The New York Times

That difference could have been due to chance, the researchers said.

The New York Times

The researchers acknowledged that the reported increases and decreases might have been due to chance.

The New York Times - Health

This would ensure that those in the treatment and control groups differ solely due to chance.

Yale University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing statistical significance, use "due to chance" to explain outcomes that are not likely caused by a specific intervention or variable.

Common error

Avoid assuming that events occurring together are causally related simply because they might be "due to chance". Always consider other factors and potential confounding variables.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "due to chance" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to explain the reason or cause of an event or outcome. Ludwig AI provides many examples where "due to chance" clarifies that an observed result might not be significant.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

47%

News & Media

42%

Academia

11%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "due to chance" is a frequently used phrase, as confirmed by Ludwig AI, that serves to attribute outcomes to randomness rather than specific causes. It functions as an adverbial phrase and is suitable for neutral to formal contexts, particularly in science, news, and academic writing. While the phrase is grammatically correct, it's important to avoid confusing correlation with causation when using it. Remember that other explanations could exist.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

attributable to chance

Uses 'attributable' to emphasize the cause, indicating the outcome can be assigned to randomness.

owing to chance

Replaces 'due' with 'owing', a slightly more formal synonym, indicating something is owed or caused by chance.

by happenstance

Replaces 'due to chance' with a single word emphasizing the accidental nature of the occurrence.

as luck would have it

Indicates the event occurred because of good or bad luck, implying chance but with a focus on fortune.

through random occurrence

Highlights the randomness of the event, focusing on the fact that it happened without a specific cause.

by random selection

Emphasizes a process where choice was determined by randomness.

by fortuitous circumstances

Describes the event as happening due to a lucky or fortunate set of circumstances.

through coincidence

Stresses the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear meaningfully related but are not causally connected.

by accident

Short and direct way to indicate lack of intention or predictability.

by a fluke

Suggests something happened unexpectedly and unusually, deviating from the norm.

FAQs

How do you use "due to chance" in a sentence?

"Due to chance" is used to explain an outcome that occurred randomly or unexpectedly. For example, "The positive results from the initial drug trial might have been "due to chance" rather than the drug's effectiveness".

What can I say instead of "due to chance"?

Alternatives to "due to chance" include "attributable to chance", "owing to chance", or "by happenstance". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Which is correct: "due to chance" or "because of chance"?

Both "due to chance" and "because of chance" are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably, although "due to chance" is generally more common in formal writing.

What's the difference between "due to chance" and "due to error"?

"Due to chance" implies that an outcome occurred randomly, without any specific cause or intention. "Due to error", on the other hand, suggests that an outcome was caused by a mistake or inaccuracy.