likelihood

American  

[lahyk-lee-hood] / ˈlaɪk liˌhʊd /

Or likeliness

noun

• likelihoods
  plural

1. the state of being likely or probable; probability.

2. a probability or chance of something.

   There is a strong likelihood of his being elected.

3. Archaic. indication of a favorable end; promise.

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likelihood British  

/ ˈlaɪklɪˌnɪs, ˈlaɪklɪˌhʊd /

noun

1. the condition of being likely or probable; probability

2. something that is probable

3. 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superlikelihood
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• likelihoods
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

likelihood likelihoods

David Tamayo, head of Colombia's disaster relief agency, acknowledged that the "likelihood of finding survivors is going to diminish" after Thursday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The more interest that is temporarily deferred, the higher the likelihood the borrower will default, according to a report by Raymond James.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

“What it really does is increase the likelihood of particularly wet conditions starting in about late December and into January, February and March,” Swain said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

That relationship suggests that greater communication across brain networks may be associated with a stronger likelihood of experiencing profound changes in consciousness.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

A time in her life in which he was still Gogol to her, a remnant from her past with little likelihood of appearing in her future.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Humanoids tasked with performing multiple jobs use artificial intelligence and are “probabilistic,” meaning they operate on statistical likelihoods, not certainty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 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

"We were given an endless list of likelihoods for Anna’s development and that they weren't going to be straightforward," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2024

It looks most repulsive, so far as any likelihoods of obtaining water is concerned.

From Australia Twice Traversed, Illustrated, by Ernest Giles

Related Words

• possibility
• probability
• prospect
• tendency
• trend