calculated risk

American

noun

a chance of failure, the probability of which is estimated before some action is undertaken.

calculated risk Idioms

A chance taken after careful estimation of the probable outcome, as in Taking their dispute to arbitration was definitely a calculated risk. This term uses calculated in the sense of “planned with forethought,” a usage from the mid-1800s. Its pairing with risk dates from World War II, when the chances for losing bombers were taken into account before a bombing mission was sent out. After the war the term was transferred to other undertakings where taking a chance to succeed had to be weighed against the costs of failure.

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That is a calculated risk, however.

From BBC

Trying stand-up, like all her career moves, seems like a gamble but, she notes, it’s a “calculated risk.”

From Los Angeles Times

Was it a calculated risk or stubborn foolishness?

From Los Angeles Times

For the NFL, the blowback was a calculated risk as the league makes a push to globalize its fan base.

From Los Angeles Times

"It doesn't sound like much, but everything in life is a calculated risk," Schmerr noted.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023