unlikely
Americanadjective
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not likely to be or occur; improbable; marked by doubt.
-
holding little prospect of success; unpromising; likely to fail.
He is an unlikely candidate for reelection.
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not ingratiating; objectionable.
adverb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unlikely
First recorded in 1325–75, unlikely is from the Middle English word unlikli. See un- 1, likely
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.
Pompliano, to his credit, pointed out in his post that it’s unlikely that Plum’s total income is only $999,999, given the availability of endorsement income and other ancillary deals.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Even in the unlikely scenario that cannibalization occurs, Barclays believes it could be at least partially offset by increased computing demand resulting from quantum error correction, which runs on classical systems.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
Hantavirus is an unlikely source of contagion on a cruise ship.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Live Nation is believed to control at least 80% of the ticketing market for major concert venues, but analysts have said a forced breakup of the company is unlikely.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
Palsson and Bobby might see some money, it was suggested, if the film made a profit, although it was highly unlikely for a documentary to realize even a slight windfall.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
