Spanish word

lotería

Pronunciation

IPA/loteˈɾia/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlottery

Example

Compré un boleto de lotería ayer.

I bought a lottery ticket yesterday.

Illustration for lotería (lottery)

More examples

En Navidad hay un sorteo de la lotería que todos miran.

At Christmas there is a lottery drawing that everyone watches.

Core concept

A public game of chance that draws numbers or tickets at random to distribute prizes.

Common phrases

  • lotería nacional

    national lottery

  • ganar la lotería

    win the lottery

Similar words

boleto: Individual ticket showing the purchaser's number used to participate in and claim a prize.
cupón: Printed coupon that bears lottery numbers or exchange information for claiming winnings.
sorteo: Organized drawing held at a set time where numbers or names are drawn to decide winners.
rifa: Local fundraising draw selling tickets at events and awarding prizes by random selection.

Definition in Spanish

Sorteo en el que, mediante extracción aleatoria de números o boletos, se reparten premios entre los participantes.

Word origin

From Middle French loterie and Italian lotteria, ultimately from a Germanic root lot meaning 'share' or 'portion', reflecting the allotment of prizes by chance.

Usage tips

  • The word is feminine (la lotería) and always written with an acute accent on the i, and in Spain the major Christmas national draw is commonly called El Gordo.

Other meanings

  • rafflenoun

Word lists with this word