Opportunities

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪtiz/

Definitions

1. Circumstances that present chances for advancement, success, or favorable outcomes
2. Situations that offer the potential for growth, achievement, or beneficial developments
3. Chances or moments that allow individuals to advance or achieve goals

Etymology: "Opportunities" is the plural of "opportunity", so its story is the story of that noun. The root idea is that of a wind or tide that blows in the right direction. Latin "opportunus" meant "favourable, convenient, fit", and it was often used of winds that carried ships safely toward a harbour, the sense preserved in the older English word "opportune". The Latin "opportūnitās" grew from it, and it passed into Middle French as "opportunité" before arriving in English. English borrowed the noun from French, so the word arrived already carrying the sense of a favourable moment rather than a physical wind. The chain runs from Latin "opportunus", to Middle French "opportunité", to the English noun "opportunity", with the English "opportune" formed from the same Latin base. The adjective and noun therefore share a root, and the noun's modern meaning of a chance to achieve something is an extension of the nautical idea of a timely passage.

Synonyms: chances, possibilities, prospects

Antonyms: obstacles, hindrances