target of opportunity
A 'target of opportunity' refers to an objective that presents itself unexpectedly and is advantageous to pursue across various fields.
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Definition
C1Military
(technical)An enemy objective that is not part of a planned operation but becomes available for attack due to its sudden appearance or vulnerability.
Example
- The reconnaissance team identified a target of opportunity and requested immediate air support.
C1Academic
(formal)An exceptional candidate who is recruited directly due to their outstanding qualifications, bypassing the usual search process.
Example
- The university hired her as a target of opportunity due to her groundbreaking research in neuroscience.
C1Astronomy
(technical)A celestial object that becomes observable due to an unexpected event, like a supernova or gamma-ray burst.
Example
- The astronomers quickly adjusted their instruments to study the target of opportunity, a newly detected supernova.