likelihood
or like·li·ness
[lahyk-lee-hoo d]
noun
the state of being likely or probable; probability.
a probability or chance of something: There is a strong likelihood of his being elected.
Archaic. indication of a favorable end; promise.
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What is the difference between might and may?May expresses likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary-to-fact hypothetical. The difference in degree between “You may be right” and “You might be right” is slight but not insignificant: if I say you may be right about something, there is a higher degree of probability that you are right about it than if I say you might be right about something. Example: You think Einstein is the most brilliant physicist who …
RELATED WORDS
prospect, trend, tendency, possibility, probability, presumption, direction, plausibility, liability, reasonableness, likeliness, fifty-fifty
Nearby words
- like that,
- like to,
- like water off a duck's back,
- like-minded,
- likeable,
- likely,
- likely as not,
- likeminded,
- liken,
- likeness
Origin of likelihood
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for likelihood
likelihood
likeliness (ˈlaɪklɪˌnɪs)
noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
likelihood
late 14c., "resemblance, similarity," from likely + -hood. Meaning "probability" is from mid-15c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper