off chance

noun

A possibility that is not likely or probable.

“He submitted a job application on the off chance that nobody better would.”

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Meanings

nounoff chance (plural off chances)

plural off chances · alternative off-chance · alternative offchance

  1. idiomaticA possibility that is not likely or probable.

    He submitted a job application on the off chance that nobody better would.

Origin

From off + chance.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian малка вероятност
  • малка вероятност (malka verojatnost)possibility that is not likely
Finnish siinä toivossa
  • siinä toivossapossibility that is not likely
Russian малая вероятность
  • малая вероятность (malaja verojatnostʹ)possibility that is not likely
Spanish remota posibilidad, posibilidad remota
  • remota posibilidadpossibility that is not likely
  • posibilidad remotapossibility that is not likely
Cite this entry
APA

off chance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20chance

MLA

“off chance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20chance. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “off chance,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20chance.

Source: off chance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.