Meaning
An exceptionally favourable chance to do, get or achieve something, usually one that may not come again. The adjective carries gold's associations of value and rarity rather than any literal colour. Used across all main varieties of English, especially in journalism, business and sport, and frequently paired with seize, miss or squander. Neutral to mildly formal, with a slightly promotional flavour; almost always implies a window that can close. Regional use: General English.
Origin
Gold as the archetype of value gave 'golden' a figurative sense of 'exceedingly favourable, opportune' that the OED documents from a1398, first of dawn as a 'goldene houre' in Trevisa. The exact collocation is surprisingly early: the OED quotes Henry Smith's sermon (written a1591, printed 1593) warning 'When golden opportunitie is past, no time will fit for her', and Nicholas Rowe's Fair Penitent (1703) has 'I snatch'd the glorious, golden opportunity'; Earl Grey (1884) shows it settled ('The golden opportunity was thrown away'). The OED notes the phrase is now the usual survivor of this sense. Claims that the expression arose in the 19th century are therefore not supported - it is an Elizabethan phrase that stayed in the language.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- a golden chance
- golden opportunities
- golden opportunity
Usage Examples
- The quiet holiday week gave her a golden opportunity to finish the manuscript.
- Investors read the falling share price as a golden opportunity to buy.
- To miss a penalty from there was to squander a golden opportunity.