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likelihood

or like·li·ness

[lahyk-lee-hoo d]

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SEE MORE 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.

Origin of likelihood

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

Related formssu·per·like·li·hood, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for likeliness

prospect, trend, tendency, possibility, probability, risk, circumstance, hazard, incident, action, opportunity, hope, anticipation, odds, expectation, feasibility, chance, contingency, plausibility, realism

Examples from the Web for likeliness

Historical Examples of likeliness

But for likeliness it is referred rather to the father than to the mother.
The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher
Anonymous
Our ignorance is so abysmal that our judgments of likeliness and unlikeliness of future events hardly count.
The Concept of Nature
Alfred North Whitehead

British Dictionary definitions for likeliness

likelihood

likeliness (ˈlaɪklɪˌnɪs)

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

Word Origin and History for likeliness

likelihood

n.

late 14c., "resemblance, similarity," from likely + -hood. Meaning "probability" is from mid-15c.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper