probably
Americanadverb
adverb
Usage
What does probably mean? Probably means most likely or in all likelihood. Probably is the adverb form of the adjective probable, meaning “very likely to occur or be true.” Probably is used when you think something will happen or turn out to be true, but you’re not certain enough to say it definitely will. Example: My flight will probably arrive within the next few hours, but I can’t guarantee it.
Etymology
Origin of probably
Explanation
If something probably will happen, it's likely. If it probably won't happen, don't get your hopes up. This is a word for things that are likely to happen or just believable. If your dinner is gone and your dog looks guilty, the dog probably jumped on the table to eat it. If someone moved all the furniture around while you were sleeping, you probably would have noticed. Given all the billions of stars in the sky, there's probably life out there, but who knows if we'll ever meet it. You probably like some foods better than others.
Vocabulary lists containing probably
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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SHSAT: Language of the Test
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He probably dropped a few breadcrumbs somewhere between the first tee and the 18th tee, and you didn’t take the bait, so he finally gave up.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
By Tuesday night, officials probably will have a better picture of next steps, he said, including further reducing the size of the evacuation zones.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
"We'd probably walked for about four hours - and then it all went wrong," said Matty.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Woodson was probably more insulted by being called an intellectual, but the episode speaks volumes about why he parted ways with traditional civil-rights leaders in the 1970s.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Now that he thought of it, Clare could probably use some.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
