Library / English Dictionary

VENTURE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("venture" is a kind of...):

labor; project; task; undertaking (any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "venture"):

joint venture (a venture by a partnership or conglomerate designed to share risk or expertise)

experiment (a venture at something new or different)

campaign; cause; crusade; drive; effort; movement (a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end)

sally; sallying forth (a venture off the beaten path)

danger; peril; risk (a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury)

Derivation:

venture (proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A commercial undertaking that risks a loss but promises a profit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("venture" is a kind of...):

business; business enterprise; commercial enterprise (the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects)

Derivation:

venture (put at risk)

venturous (disposed to venture or take risks)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An investment that is very risky but could yield great profits

Example:

he knew the stock was a speculation when he bought it

Synonyms:

speculation; venture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("venture" is a kind of...):

investment; investment funds (money that is invested with an expectation of profit)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "venture"):

gamble (money that is risked for possible monetary gain)

smart money (money bet or invested by experienced gamblers or investors (especially if they have inside information))

pyramid ((stock market) a series of transactions in which the speculator increases his holdings by using the rising market value of those holdings as margin for further purchases)

Derivation:

venture (put at risk)

venturous (disposed to venture or take risks)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation

Example:

I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong

Synonyms:

guess; hazard; pretend; venture

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "venture" is one way to...):

speculate (talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "venture"):

anticipate; call; forebode; foretell; predict; prognosticate; promise (make a prediction about; tell in advance)

surmise; suspect (imagine to be the case or true or probable)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

Example:

We ventured into the world of high-tech and bought a supercomputer

Synonyms:

embark; venture

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "venture" is one way to...):

go; move; proceed (follow a procedure or take a course)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

venture (any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome)

venturer (a person who enjoys taking risks)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Put at risk

Example:

I will stake my good reputation for this

Synonyms:

adventure; hazard; jeopardize; stake; venture

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "venture" is one way to...):

lay on the line; put on the line; risk (expose to a chance of loss or damage)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

venture (a commercial undertaking that risks a loss but promises a profit)

venture (an investment that is very risky but could yield great profits)

venturer (a person who enjoys taking risks)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Miss Tilney continuing silent, she ventured to say, “Her death must have been a great affliction!”

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

“Then you must promise something else,” I ventured.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The story was not a long one, and when it was finished, he ventured to ask a few questions as a reward of merit.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I agree with you. She can't venture ten miles of frost. By all means she must remain.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Mrs. Dashwood feared to hazard any remark, and ventured not to offer consolation.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

That I was desirous of believing her indifferent is certain—but I will venture to say that my investigation and decisions are not usually influenced by my hopes or fears.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

"But we must advance," I ventured to remark.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When it did come, however, it came in a fashion which was more favourable to my plans than anything that I had ever ventured to hope for.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Well, Mrs. St. Clair, the clouds lighten, though I should not venture to say that the danger is over.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At length he ventured to take me behind, by the middle, between his fore-finger and thumb, and brought me within three yards of his eyes, that he might behold my shape more perfectly.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)