lottery

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lottery" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to a game of chance where participants buy tickets for a chance to win prizes. For example, "She won a large sum of money in the lottery." Alternative expressions include "raffle" and "sweepstakes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Should Macclesfield make it to the fourth round for only the second time in their history and get paired away from home in a televised match against one of the Premier League big boys, it would be the equivalent of a lottery win.

The Guardian - Sport

Lottery officials said Thursday two winning tickets to the Wednesday night drawing were sold in New Jersey and one was sold in Minnesota.

The Guardian

To some it will be equivalent to a lottery win.

The Guardian

"I might as well have bought a ticket for the lottery instead of voting, the good it's done.

The Guardian

4. Daft Punk to discuss nocturnal lottery idea. 5. Miley Cyrus to present findings of investigation into long-term impact of Robin Thicke in the twerkplace.

The Guardian - Music

Paul White, a project engineer from Ham Lake, said at a news conference at Minnesota state lottery headquarters that his "significant other" called him Thursday morning to say one of three winning tickets for Wednesday night's drawing had been sold in Minnesota.

The Guardian

However, children's social care is still based on a complex web of legislation – which leaves a postcode lottery where entitlement is difficult to understand and time is wasted arguing about whether a child is eligible for social care.

The Guardian

The Weirs, who won £161m in the EuroMillions lottery in 2011, have donated £2.5m to the Yes Scotland campaign since April last year.

The Guardian

He said, 'You're going to buy a Lottery ticket.

The Guardian

But then it was, 'You win the Lottery.

The Guardian

Are we now a horde of individuals driven by self-interest, striving for life's lottery win, the big break.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure clarity by specifying the type of system, such as a "national lottery" for government-run schemes or a "state lottery" in regional contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "lottery" when referring to small, informal prize drawings for charity; in such cases, "raffle" is usually more precise and culturally appropriate. In many jurisdictions, the word has specific legal implications involving gambling licenses that do not apply to simple contests.

Linguistic Context

As analyzed by Ludwig, the term "lottery" functions as a singular count noun. It frequently acts as the direct object of verbs related to participation or winning (e.g., "win the lottery", "enter the lottery") and serves as an attributive noun in compound phrases like "lottery ticket" or "lottery winnings".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Academia

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "lottery" is a versatile and standard English noun that describes both literal games of chance and metaphorical systems of randomness. Ludwig AI highlights its prevalence in journalistic contexts, particularly when discussing financial windfalls or social inequality (e.g., "postcode lottery"). While it is interchangeable with terms like "raffle" in casual contexts, it carries a more significant, often state-sanctioned weight in formal writing. Its usage is consistent, correct and highly frequent across all major English-speaking regions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

raffle

often refers to a smaller scale or charitable event where tickets are drawn for specific prizes

sweepstakes

commonly used in marketing for contests that do not require a purchase for entry

lotto

specifically denotes a lottery where players select numbers to match a random draw

draw

a broader term describing the act of selecting a winner randomly

game of chance

a more formal and legalistic classification for any activity determined by luck

prize draw

frequently used in commercial contexts for promotional giveaways

tombola

a specific type of lottery where tickets are drawn from a rotating drum

gambling scheme

carries a more technical or sometimes negative regulatory connotation

giveaway

implies the prize is awarded for free, usually in a less complex system

wager

focuses on the individual act of betting rather than the organized system

FAQs

How do I use "lottery" in a sentence?

You can use "lottery" as a noun to describe a game of chance. For example, "She won a large sum of money in the lottery" or "The new housing policy felt like a bit of a "lottery" for residents."

What can I say instead of "lottery"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "sweepstakes", ""raffle"" or "game of chance".

What is the difference between "lottery" and "raffle"?

A "lottery" is typically a large-scale, often government-run operation with cash prizes, while a ""raffle"" is usually local, smaller and often held for charitable fundraising.

Is "lottery" formal or informal?

The term is neutral and widely accepted in both professional news reporting and everyday conversation. It is frequently used in formal economic and social policy discussions to describe random allocation systems.