even money

American  

noun

1. the equal sum staked by each bettor.

2. equal odds in a wager.

   It's even money that the home team will win.

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even money Idioms  

1. Equal odds that something will occur, as in It's even money that he'll get the contract. The term comes from gambling, where it signifies equal odds in a bet. [Late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

• even-money adjective

Etymology

Origin of even money

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

That means even money isn’t always guaranteed to provide access.

From Salon • May 30, 2025

It’s not that you have to believe that there is a force out there more powerful than Zsa-zsa, or heck, even money itself.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2025

That’s a problem because if the bad guys get one of your passwords, they will try using it to access your accounts, data and maybe even money elsewhere.

From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2022

Right about now, with that running game, they should be even money.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 8, 2021

Actually, the bookies in the cigar shops in Poughkeepsie had Cal and Washington at even money, with Cornell lagging just behind at eight to five.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown