likelihood
Americannoun
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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.
Only 31% of U.S. subscribers indicated they’d likely cancel following a $1 price hike, while a record 48% reported a low likelihood to cancel, Evercore noted.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
“Anything that lasts longer than two or three weeks would be pretty bad,” Wallerstein said, “although that seems like a really low likelihood to me.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026
Two days later, emergency personnel announced that the search and rescue effort had become a recovery mission, based on water conditions and the low likelihood that the diver had survived.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2025
That doesn’t mean that these laws would never be enforced, but he believes it’s a really low likelihood.
From Salon • Jan. 30, 2024
The malicious use of drones is another potential threat to be made public in the latest list, though it carries similarly low likelihood and impact ratings.
From BBC • Aug. 3, 2023
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.
