lottery
gb/lˈɑtɚi/ us/lˈɑtɚi/
B1
English
~ 5500
lottó, sorsjáték, véletlen kérdése, lutri, sorsolás
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] plays the lottery
He buys a ticket every week in the hope of winning the lottery.
Minden héten vesz egy szelvényt abban a reményben, hogy megnyeri a lottót.
The state lottery raises millions of dollars each year for public schools.
Az állami lottó évente több millió dollárt gyűjt össze az állami iskolák számára.
She checked her lottery numbers online and was shocked to see she had matched all six.
Many people dream of quitting their jobs if they ever hit the national lottery.
The charity is running a Christmas lottery with a car as the top prize.
Learner examples
I play the lottery every Friday.
Minden pénteken lottózom.
She won the lottery and became very rich.
Megnyerte a lottót, és nagyon gazdag lett.
He bought three lottery tickets at the store.
The lottery gives money to local schools.
We watched the lottery draw on TV.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *lottery* for any small prize game, even when tickets are not sold (e.g., classroom games). In English, *lottery* usually involves buying tickets and large, organized money prizes. For small, local charity draws, *raffle* is often more natural.
Meaning
game of chance with money prizes
Collocations
play the lottery
|win the lottery
|buy a lottery ticket
|lottery jackpot
|state lottery
|lottery numbers
Synonyms
raffle (Similar idea of tickets and a random draw, but usually smaller, local, and for charity rather than large public gambling.)
|
sweepstake (A large prize competition based on chance; often used for big promotional or sports-related draws.)
Antonyms
sure thing (Emphasizes that the outcome is guaranteed, unlike a lottery where winning is uncertain.)
Themes
entertainment
|money
|risk
|daily_life
|finance
Definition
A game where people buy tickets with numbers, and some tickets are picked by chance to win money or other prizes.
A gambling game in which people buy numbered tickets and winners are chosen by a random draw to receive money or other prizes, often organized by a government or company.
NOUN
B2
2
lutri
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] is a lottery
With so many applicants, getting a place at that university is a lottery.
Ennyi jelentkező mellett szinte a véletlen kérdése, hogy bejut-e valaki arra az egyetemre.
Finding affordable housing in this city feels like a lottery.
Megfizethető lakást találni ebben a városban kész lutrinak tűnik.
The weather here is a complete lottery; you never know what you’re going to get.
For freelancers, monthly income can be a bit of a lottery.
In some countries, access to good healthcare is a postcode lottery.
Learner examples
In this city, finding a cheap flat is a lottery.
Ebben a városban olcsó lakást találni a véletlen kérdése.
Getting tickets for the concert was a lottery.
Jegyet szerezni a koncertre kész lutri volt.
The weather in April is a bit of a lottery.
Sometimes job interviews are a lottery; good people do not get the job.
School places are a lottery in my area.
Common mistake:
Learners may think *lottery* only means a money game. In modern English it is also very common to say something *is a lottery* to mean it depends on luck. Do not use *lottery* in this sense with a verb like *play*; instead say *Getting a place there is a lottery*, not *You play a lottery to get a place*.
Meaning
situation decided mostly by luck
Collocations
it’s a lottery
|a bit of a lottery
|housing lottery
|job market is a lottery
|exam grading is a lottery
|healthcare lottery
Synonyms
crapshoot (Informal American term that strongly emphasizes risk and lack of control, often more casual than *lottery*.)
|
gamble (Stresses taking a risk; can imply an active decision to risk something, while *lottery* can be more passive and about general uncertainty.)
Antonyms
certainty (Describes a situation with a sure, predictable result, which is the opposite of something being a lottery.)
Themes
life
|risk
|probability
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A situation where what happens is mostly luck, not planning or skill, so you cannot know or control the result.
A situation in which the result depends mainly on chance and is very hard to control or predict, often used to describe something unfair or unpredictable.
NOUN
B2
3
sorsolás
B1
Usage pattern:
a lottery for [something]
Each year, thousands of people apply for the U.S. green card lottery.
Évente több ezren jelentkeznek az amerikai zöldkártyalottóra.
The school used a lottery to decide which children would get a place in the new program.
Az iskola sorsolással döntötte el, mely gyerekek kerülhetnek be az új programba.
During the war, many young men were called up through the draft lottery.
The city runs a housing lottery for low-income families.
To keep the process fair, participants were chosen by lottery rather than by interview.
Learner examples
They entered the green card lottery to move to the U.S.
Jelentkeztek a zöldkártyalottóra, hogy az Egyesült Államokba költözhessenek.
Our city has a lottery for cheap apartments.
A városunkban sorsolással osztanak ki olcsó lakásokat.
The school used a lottery to choose new students.
During the war, soldiers were picked by a draft lottery.
A lottery system was used so that everyone had the same chance.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the gambling game and talk about *winning money* when the lottery is for visas, school places, or housing. In this sense, people are selected by chance, but the result is usually a right or obligation, not a cash prize.
Meaning
official random selection system
Collocations
visa lottery
|draft lottery
|school lottery
|housing lottery
|lottery system
|selection by lottery
Synonyms
random draw (Stresses the method (drawing names by chance) rather than the official system around it.)
|
ballot (In British English, sometimes used for a random selection for places or tickets; can also mean a vote, so context is important.)
Antonyms
merit-based selection (Selection based on ability or achievement, not random chance.)
Themes
government
|society
|law
|education
Definition
A formal system where a government or organization chooses people by chance, for example for visas, school places, or military service.
An officially organized selection process in which people or applications are chosen at random, for example for immigration, school places, or military service.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lottery
IPA
GB/lˈɑtɚi/
US/lˈɑtɚi/
Syllables & stress
lot - tery (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (lot)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lottery
- Plural: lotteries
Word family
Forms
lotteries
noun
Related words
lotto
noun
lot
noun A1
Expressions
a bit of a lottery
1/ə bˈɪt əv ə lˈɑtɚi/
idiom
somewhat unpredictable, luck-based situation
Used to say that something is quite unpredictable and depends a lot on luck.
Examples
- Getting a table at that restaurant without a booking is a bit of a lottery.
- The quality of budget airlines is a bit of a lottery.
- Parking near the stadium on match days is a bit of a lottery.
it’s a lottery
1/ˈɪts ə lˈɑtɚi/
idiom
result depends mostly on luck
Used to say that the result of something is mostly luck and you cannot control or predict it.
Examples
- With so many strong candidates, it’s a lottery who will get the job.
- In this town, it’s a lottery whether the bus will come on time.
- When it comes to online dating, it’s a bit of a lottery.
lottery jackpot
1/lˈɑtɚi d͡ʒˈækpˌɑt/
fixed phrase
largest prize in a lottery
The biggest amount of money that you can win in a lottery game.
Examples
- This week’s lottery jackpot is over 50 million dollars.
- No one won the lottery jackpot, so it will roll over to next week.
- They shared the lottery jackpot with three other winners.
lottery ticket
1/lˈɑtɚi tˈɪkɪt/
fixed phrase
ticket used to enter lottery
A paper or digital card that you buy to enter a lottery game.
Examples
- Don’t lose your lottery ticket, or you can’t claim the prize.
- He keeps his lottery tickets on the fridge with a magnet.
- She bought a lottery ticket on her way home from work.
lottery winner
1/lˈɑtɚi wˈɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
person who wins a lottery
A person who wins money or another prize in a lottery game.
Examples
- The anonymous lottery winner donated half of the prize to charity.
- Past lottery winners were invited to the celebration event.
- They interviewed a lottery winner about how his life had changed.
play the lottery
1/plˈeɪ ðə lˈɑtɚi/
fixed phrase
take part in a lottery game
To take part in a lottery by buying tickets and hoping to win.
Examples
- I only play the lottery when the jackpot is very big.
- They have been playing the lottery together for twenty years.
- He refuses to play the lottery because he thinks it’s a waste of money.
postcode lottery
1/pˈɑstkˈoʊd lˈɑtɚi/
idiom
unequal services based on location
Used especially in the UK to describe when public services or chances are better in some areas than others, simply because of where people live.
Examples
- Cancer treatment in this country has been called a postcode lottery.
- Access to good schools is a postcode lottery for many families.
- The report criticized the postcode lottery in mental health services.
win the lottery
1/wˈɪn ðə lˈɑtɚi/
fixed phrase
receive the top lottery prize
To get the main prize in a lottery game, usually a very large amount of money.
Examples
- If I ever win the lottery, I’ll travel around the world.
- She dreams of winning the lottery and paying off all her debts.
- He acted as if he had won the lottery when he heard about his promotion.