likelihood
Americannoun
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likelihoods
plural
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the state of being likely or probable; probability.
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a probability or chance of something.
There is a strong likelihood of his being elected.
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Archaic. indication of a favorable end; promise.
noun
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the condition of being likely or probable; probability
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something that is probable
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statistics the probability of a given sample being randomly drawn regarded as a function of the parameters of the population. The likelihood ratio is the ratio of this to the maximized likelihood See also maximum likelihood
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of likelihood
First recorded in 1350–1400, likelihood is from the Middle English word liklihood. See likely, -hood
Explanation
The likelihood of something means the odds that it will happen, or how likely a particular outcome is. Your likelihood of winning the lottery is pretty slim. If you figured out the likelihood of winning the lottery before you bought a scratch ticket, you might end up spending your money on something else. Likelihood indicates probability or chance. The likelihood that you'll convince your stubborn dog to get in your car completely depends on how many dog treats you've got in your pocket.
Vocabulary lists containing likelihood
Statistics and Probability - Middle School
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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Jacob Have I Loved
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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.
See Examples For:
The cat made a surprise cameo along with the mega pop star in a pre-recorded segment about the likelihood of Swift appearing at the Emmys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
Markets currently price an 86.8% likelihood of a quarter-point hike, according to LSEG.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Maxime Toubart, co-chair of the Comite Champagne, told the AFP news agency that the likelihood of hotter weather in the future means "this unusual harvest will probably become the norm in 10 to 15 years".
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
When asked about the likelihood of the Nuveen High Yield funds taking credit losses, Close said, “We have the largest credit team on the buy side. We have historically experienced less than 1% default rates.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Cory catalogued each of them and rated the likelihood of each one being a fossil.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
We do not ascribe likelihoods to either scenario.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
The danger arises when people believe that the model is retrieving truth rather than generating likelihoods.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
Defense departments around the world are preparing for higher likelihoods of conflict.
From Barron's ● Feb. 28, 2026
In the end, Mr. Murray approaches the whole question less as a person of faith than as a social scientist, weighing likelihoods and limiting his conclusions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
It is not fair, Edward, to condemn upon likelihoods.
From The Man Between, an International Romance by Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
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.
