Dictionary.com

likelihood

or like·li·ness

[ lahyk-lee-hood ]
/ ˈlaɪk liˌhʊd /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR likelihood ON THESAURUS.COM

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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Origin of likelihood

First recorded in 1350–1400, likelihood is from the Middle English word liklihood.See likely, -hood

OTHER WORDS FROM likelihood

su·per·like·li·hood, noun

Words nearby likelihood

like gangbusters, like greased lightning, like hell, like hot cakes, go, like it or lump it, likelihood, likely, likely as not, like mad, like-minded, liken
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to likelihood

prospect, trend, tendency, possibility, probability, presumption, direction, plausibility, liability, reasonableness, likeliness, long shot, fair shake, fighting chance, fifty-fifty, shot at

Example sentences from the Web for likelihood

British Dictionary definitions for likelihood

likelihood

likeliness (ˈlaɪklɪˌnɪs)

/ (ˈlaɪklɪˌhʊd) /

noun

the condition of being likely or probable; probability
something that is probable
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 likelihoodSee also maximum likelihood
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