Dictionary

probability en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [ˌpɹɔb.əˈbɪl.ə.ɾi] (Australia)
• (California, Southern) audio
• /ˌpɹɔb.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/ (Australia)
• /ˌpɹɑ.bəˈbɪl.ə.ti/ (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)
• [ˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ə.ɾi] (Canada)
• /ˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/ (Canada)
• [ˌpɹɑ.bəˈbɪl.ə.ɾi] (Atlantic-Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From Middle French probabilité, from Latin probābilitās (“probability, credibility”), from probābilis (“probable, credible”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being probable.
   • For, a man may with as great probability derive the Scots pedigree from the Gods, as from Scota that ſuppoſed and counterfeit daughter of the Ægyptian King Pharao, wedded (forſooth) unto Gaithelus, the ſonne of Cecrops founder of Athens. But, as this conceit ariſing from the unskilfulneſſe of Antiquitie, is of the better ſort of ingenuous Scots rejected: […] 1610, William Camden, “Scoti”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 119:
   • Thus though this degree of faith is but one remove from disbelief, (denial) nevertheless as much probability is given to one side of the question as the other, and we stand, as it were, on an average between two. 1822, Paul Brown, “Of the Degrees of Faith, according to probability, and force of impression”, in A Disquisition on Faith, Washington, D.C.: […] [F]or the Author[, b]y Andrew Way, page 24:
   • Thus, firſt Traditions were a proof alone; / Cou’d we be certain ſuch they were ſo known: / But ſince ſome Flaws in long deſcent may be, / They make not Truth but Probability. 1682, John Dryden, Religio Laici: Or, A Layman’s Faith, London: H. Hills, published 1710, page 21:
   • As Demonſtration is the ſhewing the agreement, or diſagreement of two Ideas, by the intervention of one or more Proofs, which have a conſtant, immutable, and viſible connexion one with another : ſo Probability is nothing but the appearance of ſuch an agreement, or diſagreement, by the intervention of Proofs, whoſe connexion is not conſtant and immutable, or at leaſt is not perceived to be ſo, but is, or appears for the moſt part to be ſo, and is enough to induce the Mind to judge the Propoſition to be true, or falſe, rather than the contrary. 1690, John Locke, “Of Probability”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, 3rd edition, London: Awnsham and John Churchil, published 1695, book IV, page 376:
2. (countable, uncountable) An event that is likely to occur.
   • As all experience shows, the probabilities are, that you will waste the rich treasure of your affection on one who has none to give in return, or who is wholly unworthy of the gift. 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “An Old Man’s View of Life”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 274:
   • These waters wash from the rocks such glistering tinctures, that the ground in some places seemeth as guilded, that better iudgements then ours might haue been perswaded, they contained more then probabilities. 1625, Capt. John Smith, The Trve Travels, Adventvres and Observations, volume I, Richmond: William W. Gray, published 1819, book II, page 115:
3. (countable, uncountable) The relative likelihood of an event happening.
   • Hoyle said that the probability of life originating on Earth is no greater than the chance that a hurricane, sweeping through a scrapyard, would have the luck to assemble a Boeing 747. 2006, Richard Dawkins, “Why there almost certainly is no God”, in The God Delusion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, page 113:
4. (countable, uncountable) A number, between 0 and 1, expressing the precise likelihood of an event happening.
   • The probability of an event A occurring is denoted P(A).

Forms

Deriveds

probability density · frequency probability · probability box · probability mass function · conditional probability · balance of probability · high probability trade · nonprobability · probability space · propensity probability · quasiprobability · probit · conditional probability distribution · probability density function · probability-generating function · probability paper · quasi-probability · posterior probability · experimental probability · probabilistic · probability process · sequential probability ratio test · prior probability · joint probability · probability measure · probability distribution · in all probability · probability theory · equiprobability · isoprobability · improbability · probability amplitude · theoretical probability

Relateds

possibility · probable · credence · verisimilitude · odds

Synonyms

probality · likeliness · probableness · likelihood

Translations (153)

gl probabilidade (state of being probable; likelihood) · es probabilidad (mathematical probability) · la probabilitas (mathematical probability) · id probabilitas (state of being probable; likelihood) · sk pravdepodobnosť (state of being probable; likelihood) · be вераго́днасьць (relative likelihood of an event happening) · cmn 概率 (mathematical probability) · ko 확률 (relative likelihood of an event happening) · th ความน่าจะเป็น (event that is likely to occur) · ru вероя́тность (relative likelihood of an event happening) · hi संभावना (state of being probable; likelihood) · be імаве́рнасць (relative likelihood of an event happening) · ca probabilitat (state of being probable; likelihood) · lv varbūtība (relative likelihood of an event happening) · cs pravděpodobnost (state of being probable; likelihood) · hi संभावना (relative likelihood of an event happening) · cmn 可能性 (state of being probable; likelihood) · ru вероя́тность (event that is likely to occur) · be вераго́днасьць (event that is likely to occur) · ro probabilitate (relative likelihood of an event happening) · it probabilità (state of being probable; likelihood) · es probabilidad (event that is likely to occur) · ro probabilitate (state of being probable; likelihood) · hi प्रायिकता (mathematical probability) · ja 確率 (relative likelihood of an event happening) · ml സാധ്യത (state of being probable; likelihood) · pl prawdopodobieństwo (mathematical probability) · sh verojátnōst (state of being probable; likelihood) · gl probabilidade (mathematical probability) · fr probabilité (state of being probable; likelihood) · ja 蓋然性 (relative likelihood of an event happening) · hi प्रसंभाव्यता (mathematical probability) · fi todennäköinen tapahtuma (event that is likely to occur) · ml സാധ്യത (event that is likely to occur) · sh vjerojátnōst (mathematical probability) · el πιθανότητα (mathematical probability) · vi xác suất (mathematical probability) · be вераго́днасць (state of being probable; likelihood) · cmn 幾率 /几率 (mathematical probability) · es probabilidad (state of being probable; likelihood) · hy հավանականություն (relative likelihood of an event happening) · ms kebarangkalian (event that is likely to occur) · be імаве́рнасьць (event that is likely to occur) · uk імові́рність (relative likelihood of an event happening) · pt probabilidade (state of being probable; likelihood) · la probabilitas (state of being probable; likelihood) · ko 가능성 (relative likelihood of an event happening) · nl waarschijnlijkheid (state of being probable; likelihood) · ml സാധ്യത (relative likelihood of an event happening) · bg вероя́тност (mathematical probability) · sh вјероја́тно̄ст (mathematical probability) · id kemungkinan (state of being probable; likelihood) · mk веро́јатност (event that is likely to occur) · ca probabilitat (event that is likely to occur) · ko 확률 (mathematical probability) · th ความน่าจะเป็น (mathematical probability) · pl prawdopodobieństwo (state of being probable; likelihood) · bg вероя́тност (event that is likely to occur) · lv varbūtība (state of being probable; likelihood) · la probabilitas (event that is likely to occur) · sl verjetnost (state of being probable; likelihood) · be імаве́рнасць (event that is likely to occur) · tl kalagmitan (mathematical probability) · eo probableco (mathematical probability) · hi प्रायिकता (state of being probable; likelihood) · ms kebarangkalian (state of being probable; likelihood) · uk імові́рність (event that is likely to occur) · kn ಸಂಭವನೀಯತೆ (mathematical probability) · pt probabilidade (relative likelihood of an event happening) · hu valószínűség (state of being probable; likelihood) · th ความน่าจะเป็น (state of being probable; likelihood) · sh вјероја́тно̄ст (state of being probable; likelihood) · be вераго́днасць (event that is likely to occur) · es probabilidad (relative likelihood of an event happening) · nl waarschijnlijkheid (mathematical probability) · ms kebarangkalian (relative likelihood of an event happening) · fr probabilité (relative likelihood of an event happening) · sh vjerojátnōst (event that is likely to occur) · sh вероја́тно̄ст (state of being probable; likelihood) · pt probabilidade (event that is likely to occur) · fi todennäköisyys (state of being probable; likelihood) · be імаве́рнасць (state of being probable; likelihood) · be імаве́рнасьць (relative likelihood of an event happening) · ja 確率 (state of being probable; likelihood) · zza ihtimal (state of being probable; likelihood) · sh вероја́тно̄ст (relative likelihood of an event happening) · el πιθανότητα (state of being probable; likelihood) · nb sannsynlighet (mathematical probability) · la probabilitas (relative likelihood of an event happening) · uk імові́рність (state of being probable; likelihood) · ru вероя́тность (mathematical probability) · uk правдоподі́бність (event that is likely to occur) · uk правдоподі́бність (relative likelihood of an event happening) · ko 확률 (state of being probable; likelihood) · hu valószínűség (mathematical probability) · az ehtimal (state of being probable; likelihood) · vi xác suất (relative likelihood of an event happening) · grc εἰκός (state of being probable; likelihood) · th ความน่าจะเป็น (relative likelihood of an event happening) · ko 개연성 (relative likelihood of an event happening) · mk веро́јатност (mathematical probability) · hy հավանականություն (state of being probable; likelihood) · sh vjerojátnōst (relative likelihood of an event happening) · sh вјероја́тно̄ст (event that is likely to occur) · is líkindi (relative likelihood of an event happening) · be імаве́рнасьць (state of being probable; likelihood) · nn sannsyn (mathematical probability) · id probabilitas (mathematical probability) · mi tūponotanga (mathematical probability) · gl probabilidade (relative likelihood of an event happening) · be вераго́днасць (relative likelihood of an event happening) · de Wahrscheinlichkeit (mathematical probability) · cmn 可能性 (relative likelihood of an event happening) · bg вероя́тност (state of being probable; likelihood) · pt probabilidade (mathematical probability) · it probabilità (event that is likely to occur) · ro probabilitate (mathematical probability) · bg вероя́тност (relative likelihood of an event happening) · ms kebarangkalian (mathematical probability) · ca probabilitat (mathematical probability) · fi todennäköisyys (relative likelihood of an event happening) · hy հավանականություն (mathematical probability) · sh вероја́тно̄ст (event that is likely to occur) · ja 可能性 (relative likelihood of an event happening) · gl probabilidade (event that is likely to occur) · km ប្រូបាប៊ីលីតេ (relative likelihood of an event happening) · fi todennäköisyys (mathematical probability) · sh вероја́тно̄ст (mathematical probability) · mk веро́јатност (relative likelihood of an event happening) · hi संभाव्यता (mathematical probability) · sh verojátnōst (event that is likely to occur) · vi khả năng (relative likelihood of an event happening) · it probabilità (relative likelihood of an event happening) · mk веро́јатност (state of being probable; likelihood) · sh вјероја́тно̄ст (relative likelihood of an event happening) · sh verojátnōst (mathematical probability) · de Wahrscheinlichkeit (state of being probable; likelihood) · sh vjerojátnōst (state of being probable; likelihood) · cs pravděpodobnost (mathematical probability) · uk правдоподі́бність (state of being probable; likelihood) · sh verojátnōst (relative likelihood of an event happening) · mi tūponotanga (state of being probable; likelihood) · id peluang (mathematical probability) · ru правдоподо́бие (state of being probable; likelihood) · sv sannolikhet (state of being probable; likelihood) · ml സംഭാവ്യത (mathematical probability) · it probabilità (mathematical probability) · ca probabilitat (relative likelihood of an event happening) · mi tūponotanga (relative likelihood of an event happening) · be вераго́днасьць (state of being probable; likelihood) · ja 確率 (mathematical probability) · lv varbūtība (mathematical probability) · ru вероя́тность (state of being probable; likelihood)