risk

English Online Dictionary. What means risk‎? What does risk mean?

English

Alternative forms

• risque (archaic)

Etymology

From earlier risque, from Middle French risque, from Old Italian risco (“risk”) (modern Italian rischio) and rischiare (“to run into danger”). Displaced native Old English pleoh (“risk”) and plēon (“to risk”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪsk/
• Homophones: RISC, risque (rare dialect)
• Rhymes: -ɪsk

Noun

risk (countable and uncountable, plural risks)

1. (uncountable) The probability of a negative outcome to a decision or event.
   • 2006, Trever Ramsey on BBC News website, Exercise 'cuts skin cancer risk' read at [2] on 14 May 2006
2. (uncountable) The magnitude of possible loss consequent to a decision or event.
3. (uncountable, economics, business and engineering) The potential negative effect of an event, determined by multiplying the likelihood of the event occurring with its magnitude should it occur.
   • 2002, Decisioneering Inc website, What is risk? read at [5] on 14 May 2006

     If there is a 25% chance of running over schedule, costing you a $100 out of your own pocket, that might be a risk you are willing to take. But if you have a 5% chance of running overschedule, knowing that there is a $10,000 penalty, you might be less willing to take that risk.

4. (countable) A possible adverse event or outcome.

   Synonyms: danger, peril, hazard

   1. (insurance) A type of adverse event covered under an insurance policy.
5. (countable) A thing (from the perspective of how likely or unlikely it is to cause an adverse effect).
   • 2006, BBC News website, Farmers warned over skin cancer read at [6] on 14 May 2006

     There was also a "degree of complacency" that the weather in the country was not good enough to present a health risk.

   1. (banking, finance) A borrower (such as a mortgage-holder or person with a credit card).

   2. (finance) A financial product (typically an investment).

   3. (insurance) An entity insured by an insurer.

Usage notes

When referring to some possible cause of an adverse effect as "a risk", the default position is that one is referring to how likely it is to cause an adverse effect. Such use is qualified with adjectives that refer to magnitude, such as "major", "large" or "tiny". However, adjectives that refer to quality (such as "good" or "undesirable") indicate that one is referring to how unlikely the adverse effect is, and this usage is invariably restricted to monetary contexts. On the other hand, the former sense may be used in any context (including monetary risks). In academic finance, risk is associated with the variance of the expected outcome, and not with the probability of outcomes (see Black-Scholes)

Hyponyms

• (formal business and engineering): variance, standard deviation, downside beta

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

risk (third-person singular simple present risks, present participle risking, simple past and past participle risked)

1. (transitive) To incur risk of (an unwanted or negative outcome).
   • 2006, Transportation Alternatives website, Rail delays as thieves cut power read at [7] on 14 May 2006

     These people are putting themselves in danger by physically being on or near to the railway lines and risking serious injury.

2. (transitive) To incur risk of harming or jeopardizing.
   • 2006, BBC Sport website, Beckham wary over Rooney comeback read at [8] on 14 May 2006

     England captain David Beckham has warned Wayne Rooney not to risk his long-term future by rushing his return from injury.

3. (transitive) To incur risk as a result of (doing something).
   • 1999, BBC News website, Volunteer of the Month: Andrew Hay McConnell read at [9] on 14 May 2006

     After coming to New York, I decided to risk cycling again.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• roll the dice, take a chance

Further reading

• Risk in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
• “risk”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• risk in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “risk”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• risk on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• KRIs, kris, Kris, Sirk, irks, riks, kirs, k'ris

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrɪsk]
• Hyphenation: risk
• Rhymes: -ɪsk

Noun

risk m inan

1. (informal) risk

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• “risk”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “risk”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “risk”, in Akademický slovník cizích slov at prirucka.ujc.cas.cz [Academic dictionary of foreign words] (in Czech), 1995

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from French risque.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪsk

Noun

risk c

1. risk

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

• riskabel

Anagrams

• kris, riks-, skri

Turkish

Etymology

From French risque. Doublet of riziko.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /risc/

Noun

risk (definite accusative riski, plural riskler)

1. risk (all senses)

Declension