overchance

English

Etymology

over- +‎ chance

Adjective

overchance (comparative more overchance, superlative most overchance)

1. Occurring more than expected by mere chance or probability.
   • 1969, Psychic - Volume 1, page 44:

     It was claimed that an overchance number of correct answers was scored.

   • 1970, Milan Rýzl, Parapsychology: A Scientific Approach, page 70:

     If a subject systematically attains an overchance number of hits in a long series of calls, and if conditions reliably exclude normal sensory perception, as well as the possibility of rational inference, we consider this overchance result indicative of the manifestation of ESP.

   • 1989, Martin Gardner, How Not to Test a Psychic:

     He remarks cryptically that for reasons "too private to be discussed here" PS intimated to him "that in this particular study he would not aim at obtaining a high overchance result."

Noun

overchance (plural overchances)

1. A likelihood that is greater than when all options are equally probable.
   • 1906, The Saturday Evening Post - Volume 179, Issue 2, page 38:

     At the second birth there is still an overchance in favor of a boy.

   • 1968, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Parliamentary Debates: Standing committees:

     Let us suppose that 29 licences having been correctly renewed, by some overchance the 30th gets out of phase.