likely en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈlaɪkli/
Etymology
From Middle English likely, likly, lykly, likliche, from Old English ġelīclīċ (“suitable”) and Old Norse líkligr (“likely”) (probably independent formations), equivalent to like + -ly (adjectival suffix).
Meanings
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Probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring.
Rain is likely later this afternoon.
Still, Saints looked the likeliest to make the breakthrough, and it came when Jonny Evans could only half-clear a long ball and Chaplow took full advantage.
2011 January 29, Ian Hughes, “Southampton 1 - 2 Man Utd”, in BBC:His parents — a restless, titanically self-involved father and a mother who cultivated her inner life in strict solitude — seem a much likelier source for his condition.
2009 May 24, Laura Miller, “Faking It”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 28 Sep 2021:
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(as predicate, infinitive, with-to) Reasonably to be expected; apparently destined, probable.
In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages - with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive.
2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport:People who talk about an imminent possibility of war seldom pose this question: What would North Korea’s leadership get from unleashing a war that they are likely to lose in weeks, if not days?
2013 April 9, Andrei Lankov, “Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff.”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 21 May 2020:As Trevor Corson, author of “The Story of Sushi” explains, in Japan, sushi is typically eaten at a bar, where it’s customary for the customer to chat with the chef, who can recommend what’s in season. The short window during which the fish is fresh also makes it more likely to be tastier in Japan.
2023 June 15, Rebecca Wallwork, “‘You had to be there’: Foods that taste better on home turf”, in CNN:He is likely to succeed at anything he tries.
Do you think there's likely to be snow?
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Appropriate, suitable; believable; promising, having a good potential.
Jones is a likely candidate for management.
The relationship with social status is a likely topic for investigation.
-
Plausible; within the realm of credibility.
not a very likely excuse.
The DPRK propagated an extraordinary tale of his birth occurring on Mount Baekdu, one of Korea's most revered sites, being accompanied by shooting stars in the sky. It is more likely that he was born in a small village in the USSR, while his father was serving as a Soviet-backed general during the second world war.
2011 December 19, Kerry Brown, “Kim Jong-il obituary”, in The Guardian:
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Leading with high probability to some specified outcome.
a likely recipe for disaster.
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(archaic) Attractive; pleasant.
I found a likely spot under a shady tree for the picnic.
-
(obsolete) Similar; like; alike.
For love is a celestiall harmonie Of likely harts composed of starres concent
1596, Edmund Spenser, An Hymne in Honour of Beautie:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| likeliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more likely | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| likelier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most likely | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
likelihood · unlikely · likely story · likelily · more than likely · likeliness · likely lad · not likely · as likely as not · not Pygmalion likely
Synonyms
liable (as predicate, followed by "to" and infinitive) · proximate
Translations (95)
lv ticams (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · bg вероятен (displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable) · it adatto (suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable) · es probable (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · lv ticams (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · hu megfelelő (suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable) · fi todennäköinen (suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable) · pl prawdopodobny (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · pt verossímel (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · ru перспекти́вный (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · ja きっと (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · bg подходящ (suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable) · fi luultava (displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable) · ang on wēne (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · fi todennäköinen (displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable) · da sandsynlig (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · lv ticams (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · ar عَلَى الأَغْلَبِ (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · hu alkalmas (suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable) · uk ймові́рний (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · grc εἰκός (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · bg правдоподобен (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · ru обаятельный (attractive; pleasant) · pt provável (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · sv trolig (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · grc εἰκός (displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable) · hu ígéretes (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · ga is dóigh (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · fi todennäköinen (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · fi uskottava (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · hu reménykeltő (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · it adatto (displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable) · fi mahdollinen (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · ru многообеща́ющий (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · it probabile (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · uk можли́вий (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · fi miellyttävä (attractive; pleasant) · hu esélyes (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · sv trolig (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · sv sannolik (displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable) · fi todennäköinen (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · lv iespējams (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · hu hihető (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · hi संभावित (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · sv sannolik (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · da sandsynlig (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · ja おそらく (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · hi प्रायिक (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · no sannsynlig (displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable) · bg подходящ (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · la probābilis (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · fi sopiva (suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable) · hrx wascheinlich (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · de wahrscheinlich (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · sv rimlig (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · sh vjerojatan (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · ru возмо́жный (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · de wahrscheinlich (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · fr probable (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · aeb الأَكْثَرِيَّة (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · it verosimile (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · de plausibel (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · ru очарова́тельный (attractive; pleasant) · ru приго́дный (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · ru привлека́тельный (attractive; pleasant) · bg възможен (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · fi lupaava (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · hu valószínű (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · ca probable (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · eo verŝajna (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · it piacevole (attractive; pleasant) · hy հավանական (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · ru подающий надежды (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · br gwirheñvel (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · no sannsynlig (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · hu ígéretes (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · fi todennäköinen (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · ru вероя́тный (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · no sannsynlig (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · ru подходя́щий (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · it promettente (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · sk pravdepodobný (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · uk імові́рний (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · hu biztató (promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome) · fo sannlíkur (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · de glaubhaft (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · mi tinga (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · bg вероятен (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · fi todennäköinen (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · ga dócha (probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring) · it promettente (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · es creíble (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · ru го́дный (appropriate; believable; having a good potential) · pt verossímil (plausible; within the realm of credibility) · eo verŝajna (plausible; within the realm of credibility)