probability
noun
Simple meaning
A measure of how likely it is that some event will occur.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
prahbuhbiluhteeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
pɹɑbəˈbɪləti
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible
“The probability that an unbiased coin will fall with the head up is 0.5.”
The relative likelihood of an event happening.
The quality of being probable; a probable event or the most probable event
“For a while mutiny seemed a probability.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The relative likelihood of an event happening.
Used this way, probability is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Likelynoun
“The probability that an unbiased coin will fall with the head up is 0.5.”
Probablenoun
“For a while mutiny seemed a probability.”
More ways to use probability
- “The probability that an unbiased coin will fall with the head up is 0.5.”noun
- “For a while mutiny seemed a probability.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A mathematician who specializes in probability theory.
The branch of applied mathematics that deals with probabilities.
With considerable certainty.
The probability of two events occurring together.
The probability that an event will occur given that one or more other events have occurred.
The probability that an event will occur given that one or more other events have occurred.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: measure of how likely it is that some event will occur
Antonyms
Sense: measure of how likely it is that some event will occur
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “probability” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.