opportunity

opportune +‎ -ity, from Middle French opportunité, from Latin opportunitas

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪtɪ/, /-ˈt͡ʃuː-/

• Audio (GB)

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• (General American) enPR: ä'pər-to͞oʹnə-tē, IPA^(key): /ˌɑpɚˈt(j)unəti/, [-ɾi]

• Audio (US)

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• Hyphenation: op‧por‧tun‧i‧ty

opportunity (countable and uncountable, plural opportunities)

1. A chance for advancement, progress or profit.

   seize the opportunity

   take an opportunity

   missed opportunity

   The world is full of opportunities and it's up to me to see them and pursue them.

   the opportunity came and went

   You'll get a second opportunity if you miss this one.

   • 2011 October 23, Becky Ashton, “QPR 1 - 0 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Chelsea also struggled to keep possession as QPR harried and chased at every opportunity, giving their opponents no time on the ball.

2. A favorable circumstance or occasion.

   Having a holiday is a great opportunity to relax.

3. (nonstandard, Euro-English) opportuneness

   The Court questioned the opportunity of introducing these measures in such an uncertain economic climate.

• opportune
• opportunism
• opportunist
• opportunistic

• “opportunity”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “opportunity”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.