improbable en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin improbābilis. By surface analysis, im- + probable.
Meanings
-
Not likely to be true.
Improbabile, that cannot be prooued, improbable.
1598, John Florio, “Improbabile”, in A Worlde of Words, or Most Copious, and Exact Dictionarie in Italian and English, […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield for Edw[ard] Blount, →OCLC, page 171, column 1:It is highly improbable that the drafter of the notice ever visualised the form that heavy vehicles of the future would take, but the comprehensive wording still covers modern types.
1955 December, “Notes and News: An Old Midland Railway Bridge Notice”, in Railway Magazine, page 877:Nay, if he be of a proud humour, […] he will not Bate an Ace of abſolute certainty, but however doubtful or improbable the thing is, coming f[r]om him it muſt go for an indiſputable truth.
1674, [Richard Allestree], “Of Positiveness”, in The Government of the Tongue. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: At the Theater, →OCLC, page 197:It's highly improbable that aliens abducted you.
-
Not likely to happen.
Due to the loss of power, it is improbable that we will begin on time.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more improbable | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most improbable | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
improbably · superimprobable · statistically improbable phrase · improbableness · improbability
Relateds
probability · impossible · probably
Translations (48)
uk неймові́рний (not likely to happen) · cs nepravděpodobný (not likely to be true) · pt improvável (not likely to happen) · bg неправдоподо́бен (not likely to be true) · ka ნაკლებად შესაძლებელი (not likely to be true) · gl improbable (not likely to happen) · pt improvável (not likely to be true) · da usandsynlig (not likely to happen) · es improbable (not likely to happen) · ka ნაკლებად სავარაუდო (not likely to be true) · fi epätodennäköinen (not likely to happen) · sv föga troligt (not likely to happen) · ru неправдоподо́бный (not likely to be true) · ka დაუჯერებელი (not likely to be true) · ja 疑わしい (not likely to be true) · hy անհավանական (not likely to happen) · ka არადამაჯერებელი (not likely to be true) · de unwahrscheinlich (not likely to be true) · fi epätodennäköinen (not likely to be true) · ka არასარწმუნო (not likely to be true) · el απίθανος (not likely to be true) · es improbable (not likely to be true) · es inverosímil (not likely to be true) · fr improbable (not likely to happen) · nl onwaarschijnlijk (not likely to be true) · ja 疑わしい (not likely to happen) · sv osannolik (not likely to be true) · el απίθανος (not likely to happen) · hy անհավանական (not likely to be true) · hu valószínűtlen (not likely to happen) · ja 低確率の (not likely to happen) · ka წარმოუდგენელი (not likely to be true) · de unwahrscheinlich (not likely to happen) · be непраўдападо́бны (not likely to be true) · nl onwaarschijnlijk (not likely to happen) · ro improbabil (not likely to be true) · sv osannolik (not likely to happen) · ja 低確率の (not likely to be true) · uk неправдоподі́бний (not likely to be true) · pl nieprawdopododny (not likely to be true) · ru невероя́тный (not likely to happen) · sk nepravdepodobný (not likely to be true) · ka დამაჯერებლობას მოკლებული (not likely to be true) · hu valószínűtlen (not likely to be true) · ca improbable (not likely to be true) · fr invraisemblable (not likely to be true) · be невераго́дны (not likely to happen) · bg невероя́тен (not likely to happen)