a system in which people pay money for the chance to win a prize based on random luck and probability. It typically involves purchasing tickets with predetermined numbers or choosing them yourself. Then, after all the tickets are sold, a drawing determines the winners. Lottery winnings are often very large, and some people spend more on lottery tickets than they do on other activities with similar expected payoffs, such as going to a baseball game or camping at a national park.
People also use the term to describe situations whose success or result depends on luck rather than effort or careful organization. For example, students may be chosen for a program through lottery selection, rather than through a first-come, first-served application process. Lotteries have been used for centuries, from distributing land in the Old Testament to giving away slaves in Rome. Some of today’s most popular lotteries are conducted by state and federal governments, offering cash prizes to participants who purchase tickets for a small amount of money.
The word lottery derives from the Dutch noun lot, meaning “fate.” In addition to being used for financial rewards, it is also applied to a variety of other circumstances that depend on random chance. These include lottery selection for kindergarten admission at a desirable school, a lottery to occupy units in a subsidized housing block, and even a lottery to receive a vaccine against a rapidly spreading disease. These examples are selected automatically from various online sources and may not be representative of the opinions of Merriam-Webster or its editors.