# risk

Pronunciation: say "RISK" /ɹɪsk/

## Noun

1. The probability that a decision or event leads to a negative outcome.
   - Simple: The chance that something bad will happen.
   - _Investors weigh the risk before committing large sums of money._
   - _Higher speeds increase the risk of a serious crash._
2. A possible event or outcome that could cause harm or loss.
   - Simple: Something bad that could happen because of a choice or event.
   - _The report listed several risks the new factory might face._
   - _Losing your deposit is a risk you take when renting._
3. Something regarded as dangerous according to how likely it is to cause harm.
   - Simple: A thing that might cause harm, looked at by how dangerous it is.
   - _Loose handrails were flagged as a safety risk during the inspection._
   - _Unvaccinated travelers can be a health risk to others._
4. A step or undertaking that could end badly but is taken on anyway, despite the chance of harm or loss.
   - Simple: Something you decide to do even though it might go badly and cause harm or loss.
   - _Opening a second restaurant during a recession was a calculated risk that paid off._
   - _The coach took a risk by starting a rookie in the championship game._
8. The potential negative effect of an event, found by multiplying its likelihood by its magnitude should it occur.
   - Simple: How bad an event could be, found by multiplying its chance of happening by its size.
   - _Safety analysts express risk as probability times severity._
   - _Even a rare hazard carries significant risk when the consequences are catastrophic._
9. The amount that could be lost if a decision or event goes badly, measured by how big the loss would be rather than by how likely it is.
   - Simple: How big a loss could be if something goes wrong.
   - _Because the cargo was priceless, the risk on that single voyage was immense._
   - _Insuring a skyscraper carries far greater risk than insuring a shed._
10. A person, business, or thing judged by how likely it is to cause a loss to a lender, insurer, or investor.
   - Simple: A person or thing judged by how likely it is to cause a lender, insurer, or investor to lose money.
   - _The bank classified him as a poor credit risk after the missed payments._
   - _With a steady job and years of on-time payments, she was seen by the bank as a low risk._
11. A category of adverse event that an insurance policy provides coverage against.
   - Simple: A kind of bad event that an insurance plan will pay for.
   - _The policy treats theft and fire as separate risks._
   - _The contract lists every covered risk, from fire and lightning to theft and burst pipes._

## Verb

5. To expose someone or something valued to the possibility of harm or loss.
   - Simple: To put something valuable in danger by what you do.
   - _Soldiers risk their lives in every deployment._
   - _She risked her reputation by speaking out against the company._
6. To act in a way that could bring about an unwanted or harmful outcome.
   - Simple: To do something that might lead to a bad result.
   - _By skipping the inspection, they risked serious damage to the engine._
   - _Drivers who text risk a costly accident._
7. To go ahead with a particular action, often named with an -ing form as in "risk going out in the storm", even though doing it could bring danger on yourself.
   - Simple: To do something dangerous, knowing it might turn out badly.
   - _She risked driving through the blizzard to reach the hospital._
   - _Hikers who risk crossing the ridge in bad weather endanger rescuers too._

## Origin

English first had risque, taken from Middle French risque, which came from Old Italian risco ("risk") and rischiare ("to run into danger"); the word pushed out the native Old English pleoh. Where the Italian words came from is uncertain: one idea is a Vulgar Latin word meaning "that which cuts, rock, crag" (a danger to shipping), another an Ancient Greek word for "cliff" or "hazard," and some trace them through Byzantine Greek to Arabic رِزْق (rizq, "sustenance, that which God allots").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/risk (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).