A game in which numbered tickets are sold and prizes are awarded based on the drawing of lots. In most cases, the winning numbers are selected in a random drawing, often conducted by a state or organization as a way to raise funds. It is also used to refer to any undertaking that has an outcome determined by chance. For example, they consider combat duty a lottery because it depends on chance selections made by fate.
The word lottery is derived from the Dutch noun lot meaning “fate” or “chance.” It was first recorded in English in 1612. In colonial America, colonists used the drawing of lots to determine ownership and other rights, as well as to fund public ventures, including colleges, canals, roads, and towns. It was also a popular method of raising money for the militia, and it is thought to have been responsible for funding the early settlements in Virginia and New England.
In the United States, all lotteries are operated by state governments that have granted themselves exclusive rights to operate them. As of August 2004, forty states and the District of Columbia have lotteries, with most lottery profits going to help pay for government programs. In addition, the federal government offers a variety of lotteries that can be purchased by anyone legally present in any state. Lottery profits can also be used to purchase special U.S. Treasury Bonds known as STRIPS (Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities). The examples on this page are programmatically compiled from online sources and do not represent the opinions of Merriam-Webster or its editors.