improbable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of improbable
From the Latin word improbābilis, dating back to 1590–1600. See im- 2, probable
Explanation
Your parents might tell you it's improbable that they'll buy you a car when you turn 16. Since improbable means something is unlikely but not impossible, your optimism allows you to keep hoping. The adjective improbable also means statistically unlikely to happen. You might be afraid to fly, but the odds of a plane crash are so low that such an event is improbable. Improbable also means something that is so outrageous that you'd never admit you believed in it. You know the existence of the Loch Ness Monster is improbable, but that doesn't stop you from looking for it when you travel to Scotland.
Vocabulary lists containing improbable
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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"A Quilt of a Country," Vocabulary from the argument
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"A Quilt of a Country" by Anna Quindlen
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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.
Even without the context of everything that came before the game, it was the most improbable of comebacks.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Instead, Bridget Devaney turned to the internet with a proposal that sounded equal parts hopeful and improbable - come to Northern Ireland and celebrate the wedding that never happened.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
While the home team never trailed, San Juan Hills cut the score to 47-44 midway through the fourth quarter after an improbable onside kick recovery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
PETERSBURG, Fla.—The Milwaukee Brewers’ improbable journey from baseball’s smallest market to the pinnacle of the sport began in the winter of 2018, when they made the trade that forever changed their fate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Afterwards, though, they seem improbable, childish even, like something you’d do for fun; like a girls’ club, like secrets at school.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
