plural lotteries
often attributive
1
a
: a drawing of lots in which prizes are distributed to the winners among persons buying a chance
b
: a drawing of lots used to decide something
2
: an event or affair whose outcome is or seems to be determined by chance
Examples of lottery in a Sentence
They held a lottery to determine who could get a green card.
Room assignments are determined by lottery.
Life's a lottery, isn't it? It all depends on luck.
Recent Examples on the Web
The woman celebrated by dancing inside the store, lottery officials said.
—
Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2025
In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2025
Embiid’s and George’s trade value is about as uncertain as this team’s current product on the court, so any overhaul would probably set up another long journey through the top of the lottery.
—Jared Weiss, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
To book an appointment, the lottery asks the public to call 800-766-6789, officials said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lottery 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2025
In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2025
Embiid’s and George’s trade value is about as uncertain as this team’s current product on the court, so any overhaul would probably set up another long journey through the top of the lottery.
—Jared Weiss, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
To book an appointment, the lottery asks the public to call 800-766-6789, officials said.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lottery
Articles Related to lottery
Dictionary Entries Near lottery
Cite this Entry
“Lottery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lottery. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lottery
noun
lot·tery
ˈlät-ə-rē 
ˈlä-trē
plural lotteries
: a drawing of lots in which prizes are given to the winning names or numbers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share