21 alternatives to ‘opportunity’

Do you ever feel that you’re so acculturated in marketing and PR-speak that you use it in your non-work life?

I recently attended a wedding in which the couple wrote their own vows. The groom began his recitation with this sentence:

“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to marry you today.”

To put this in perspective, the groom is an entrepreneur who lives and breathes marketing and client relations. So although that statement not surprising, it does speak to the pervasiveness of phrases such as, “I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you,” and, “Thank you for this opportunity.” Is there a better way to express this sentiment?

The English language is full of meaningful and precise words. Let’s use them in our work instead of reflexively relying on words or phrases that have lost their meaning. Below are some alternatives to the word “opportunity.”

(Please keep in mind that not all these options will work in every “Thank you for the opportunity” scenario, but they can at least be used to add variety to our writing).

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1. advantage

2. aptness

3. break

4. chance

5. circumstance

6. connection

7. convenient situation

8. endeavor

9. event

10. favor/favorable

11. fitness

12. good fortune

13. occasion

14. occurrence

15. opening

16. option

17. possibility

18. prospect

19. shot

20. stroke of luck

21. suitable time/occasion

What alternatives would you add to this list?

Laura Hale Brockway is writer and editor from Austin, Texas. Read more of her work on PR Daily and at Impertinent Remarks.

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