sweepstakes
MediumNeutral to informal; commonly used in promotional, gambling, and casual contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A type of lottery or contest where the entire prize is awarded to the winner, often based on chance.
Can refer to any competition with a large, winner-takes-all prize; also used metaphorically for situations involving high stakes and potential total gain.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often used in singular form despite ending in 's'; e.g., 'a sweepstakes is'. Can also be plural in some contexts, but typically treated as singular in American English.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is similar, but in British English, it might be more historically associated with horse racing sweepstakes. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Generally neutral, but can carry gambling connotations in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects, though perhaps more frequent in American marketing contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
participate in a sweepstakesenter into a sweepstakesbe involved in a sweepstakesVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “hit the jackpot in a sweepstakes”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in marketing campaigns to drive customer engagement through prize-based contests.
Academic
Seldom used; primarily in research on gambling behavior or promotional strategies.
Everyday
Common in conversations about winning prizes from contests or lotteries.
Technical
In gambling terminology, denotes a specific type of lottery where all stakes contribute to the prize pool.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I entered a sweepstakes to win a toy.
- She won the sweepstakes and received a new bicycle.
- The company's annual sweepstakes attracted participants from across the country.
- Despite regulatory scrutiny, sweepstakes continue to be an effective tool for consumer data collection in digital marketing.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember: 'Sweep' means to take all, and 'stakes' are bets, so in a sweepstakes, you can sweep all the stakes or prizes.
Conceptual Metaphor
Opportunity as a sweepstakes: implying life or situations are full of chances and potential windfalls.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Mistranslating as 'подметание' (sweeping) instead of the correct 'лотерея' or 'конкурс с призами'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'sweepstakes' as a verb, e.g., 'I sweepstaked yesterday.'
- Incorrect pluralization, e.g., 'sweepstakeses'.
Practice
Quiz
What is the core meaning of 'sweepstakes'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be treated as both, but in modern usage, especially in American English, it is often singular, e.g., 'The sweepstakes is exciting.'
It is generally informal and best suited for contexts related to promotions, gambling, or casual communication; avoid in academic or highly formal texts.
Both involve chance, but 'sweepstakes' often implies free entry and a large prize, while 'raffle' typically involves selling tickets for a specific cause or event.
In British English, it is pronounced as /ˈswiːpsteɪks/, with the stress on the first syllable.