improbability
Americannoun
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improbabilities
plural
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the quality or condition of being improbable; unlikelihood.
-
something improbable or unlikely.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of improbability
First recorded in 1590–1600; improbable + -ity
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.
See Examples For:
It’s the improbability of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s public projects that has made them memorable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
"The inherent improbability that such a large number of journalists would do that should be borne in mind," White argued.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
I wish I could tell you I respected the improbability of the windfall by immediately retreating to my suite.
From Slate ● Nov. 18, 2025
Such improbability is what propelled the Club 27 myth to prominence, and subsequent deaths — especially Kurt Cobain’s passing — continue to fuel its mystique, Dunivin said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2024
If hindsight enhances our appreciation for the solidity and stability of the republican legacy, it also blinds us to the truly stunning improbability of the achievement itself.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
One of the strategies adopted by Mr. Coben and company is to keep the improbabilities coming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
For the armchair judge, it is not so much a matter of who you believe — there being improbabilities and weirdnesses in both the prosecution and defense — as who you don’t.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2022
I will not attempt to prosecute a play deliberately written as a fantasia for its factual improbabilities.
From New York Times ● Jul. 28, 2021
The agency’s own scientific advisory panel warned that the math underlying the new rule was riddled with weaknesses and improbabilities.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 10, 2020
In some contexts, improbabilities are to be expected.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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