probable
Americanadjective
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likely to occur or prove true.
He foresaw a probable business loss. He is the probable writer of the article.
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having more evidence for than against, or evidence that inclines the mind to belief but leaves some room for doubt.
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affording ground for belief.
adjective
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likely to be or to happen but not necessarily so
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most likely
the probable cause of the accident
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of probable
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin probābilis likely, literally, capable of standing a test, equivalent to probā ( re ) to test ( see probe) + -bilis -ble
Compare meaning
How does probable compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If it's probable, then odds are it's going to come true. If rain is probable this weekend, you shouldn't plan a picnic. Things that are probable are probably going to happen; they're likely. Meteorologists are always trying to figure out what weather is probable, though they're often wrong. Sportscasters and gamblers try to guess the probable outcome of big games. You can also call a candidate for a job or political office who's likely to get the position a probable — they've probably got the job in the bag.
Vocabulary lists containing probable
Week 5: Scientific Viewpoints
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Copernicus: The Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies
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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.
The deputy determined probable cause existed for Wiley’s arrest, and he took the 10-year NFL player to the correctional facility “without incident.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
Jacob Bethell was lbw playing no shot and Stokes' probable successor Harry Brook slogged 21 before holing out.
From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026
Since then, he and roughly 170,000 other users have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and related cancers associated with extended exposure to glyphosate, Roundup’s key ingredient and a probable carcinogen.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
He argued that the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers glyphosate, one of Roundup's ingredients, a probable human carcinogen.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
It is possible, even probable, to be told a truth about a place, to accept it, to know it and at the same time not to know anything about it.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
