Risk
WordNet

noun


(1)   A venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury
"He saw the rewards but not the risks of crime"
"There was a danger he would do the wrong thing"
(2)   The probability of being exposed to an infectious agent
(3)   The probability of becoming infected given that exposure to an infectious agent has occurred
(4)   A source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
"Drinking alcohol is a health hazard"

verb


(5)   Take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
"When you buy these stocks you are gambling"
(6)   Expose to a chance of loss or damage
"We risked losing a lot of money in this venture"
"Why risk your life?"
"She laid her job on the line when she told the boss that he was wrong"
WiktionaryText

Etymology



Latin resicum, risicum, riscus : cliff, récif, Felsklippe, is the direct formal
origin for Italian risico, risco, rischio, Spanish riesgo, French risque and Portuguese risco. Latin word comes from a Greek navigation term rhizikon, rhiza which meant "root, stone, cut of the firm land" and was a metaphor for "difficulty to avoid in the sea".

Noun



  1. A possible, usually negative, outcome, e.g., a danger.
  2. The likelihood of a negative outcome.
    • 2006: Trever Ramsey on BBC News website, Exercise 'cuts skin cancer risk' read at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4764535.stm on 14 May 2006
      Taking regular exercise, coupled with a healthy diet, reduced the risk of several types of cancer.
  3. The potential (conventionally negative) impact of an event, determined by combining the likelihood of the event occurring with the impact should it occur.
    • 2002: Decisioneering Inc website, What is risk? read at http://www.decisioneering.com/risk-analysis.html 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.

Verb



  1. To incur risk [to something].
  2. To incur risk [of something].
  3. To incur risk [by something].

Usage notes

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