chance (subs.) Copy link Outline I. Accident, fortune1. cāsus, ūs2. fors, fortis, f.3. fortūna4. ālĕa (strictly of gambling5. tĕmĕrĭtas (i. e. a reckless, random distribution of thingsII. Probability or prospect of success • chance (subs.): I. Accident, fortune: 1. cāsus, ūs: they commit the matter to c., rem in casum ancipitis eventus committunt, Liv.: esp. in abl., casu, by chance: I mentioned them, not designedly but by c., non consulto sed casu in eorum mentionem incidi, Cic. whether by c. or by design, sive c. sive consilio, Caes. 2. fors, fortis, f.: abl. forte (both of which, esp. forte, are also used as adverbs: the nom. often has a quasi-personal meaning = fortuna): c. is more influential in some things than reason, f. in aliquibus rebus plus quam ratio potest, Cic.: what c. may bring we will bear with resignation, quod f. feret feremus aequo animo. Ter.: to happen by c., forte evenire. Ter.: Cic. 3. fortūna: v. fortune. 4. ālĕa (strictly of gambling: q. v.): the c. of war, a. belli, Liv.: there is c. in the selection of victims, a. hostiis deligendis inest, Cic. 5. tĕmĕrĭtas (i. e. a reckless, random distribution of things: rare): things in which no c. but order appears, in quibus nulla t. sed ordo apparet, Cic. Phr.: it is not by c. that the crow is now cawing on my right hand, non temere est quod corvus cantat mihi nunc ab laeva manu, Pl: Virg.: nothing abounds so much in c.s as the sea, nihil tam capax fortuitorum quam mare, Tac.: a c. customer, emptor fortuitus: to take care of the main c., rem servare, Hor. A. P. 329: rem facere, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 65: pecuniam primum quaerere, ib. v. 53. II. Probability or prospect of success: spēs, spĕi, f.: v. prospect, hope.