Meaning & use
opportunity
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A favorable set of circumstances that makes it possible to do, get, or achieve something.
Grammar: Plural opportunities; commonly followed by to plus verb or for plus noun.
Patterns
- opportunity to do something
- opportunity for something/someone
- an opportunity arises
- miss/golden opportunity
This job gives me the opportunity to travel.
The scholarship is a great opportunity for local students.
She missed the opportunity to apologize.
nouncountablebusinessfinance
In business and finance, the value or benefit of the best alternative given up when choosing something.
Grammar: Used in fixed phrases such as opportunity cost; plural is common.
Patterns
- opportunity cost
- opportunity cost of something
- weigh opportunity costs
The opportunity cost of buying a car may be a cheaper apartment.
Economists compare opportunity costs before advising a policy.
Time spent in meetings has an opportunity cost.
Word forms
| plural | opportunities |
|---|
Common combinations
- equal opportunity
- The company promotes equal opportunity in hiring.
- career opportunity
- The internship was a valuable career opportunity.
- seize an opportunity
- When demand rose, they seized the opportunity.
- opportunity cost
- The opportunity cost includes the interest you gave up.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chance
- More informal and can mean luck; opportunity stresses favorable circumstances that can be used.
- opening
- Often a job or position that is available; narrower than opportunity.
- prospect
- A future possibility, not always favorable or ready to use now.
- occasion
- A particular time when something happens; not necessarily advantageous.
Word family
- opportune adjective
- Suitable or well-timed for a purpose.
- opportunism noun
- Taking advantage of situations, often with disapproval.
- opportunist noun
- A person who exploits chances for gain, often disapproving.
- opportunistic adjective
- Exploiting immediate opportunities, sometimes at others' expense.
Commonly confused: opportunity or possibility? opportunity or occasion?
opportunity vs possibility
A possibility is neutral and may be good or bad; an opportunity is favorable and worth using.
opportunity vs occasion
An occasion is an event or time; an opportunity is a chance to benefit from circumstances.
Practice
She finally had the opportunity ___ abroad for a year.
Choose one answer.
The standard pattern is opportunity to do something. Opportunity for is followed by a noun, as in opportunity for work, not for to work; working/work alone are unidiomatic here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “opportunity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.