1. 1. A favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances.
   2. A favorable or suitable occasion or time.
2. A chance for progress or advancement.

SYNONYMS   opportunity, occasion, opening, chance, break. These nouns refer to a favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances. Opportunity is an auspicious state of affairs or a suitable time: "If you prepare yourself . . . you will be able to grasp opportunity for broader experience when it appears" (Eleanor Roosevelt). Occasion suggests the proper time for action: an auspicious occasion; an occasion for celebration. An opening is an opportunity affording a good possibility of success: waited patiently for her opening, then exposed the report's inconsistency. Chance often implies an opportunity that arises through luck or accident: a chance for us to chat; no chance of losing. A break is an often sudden piece of luck, especially good luck: got his first big break in Hollywood.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.