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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

probable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈpɹɑbəbl̩/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from probāre (“to test, examine”); see probe, probity, prove. Compare recent doublet provable.

Meanings

  1. Likely or most likely to be true.
    • It's probable that it will rain tomorrow.
    • The probable source of the failure was the mass of feathers in the intake manifold.
    • A major accident and embezzlement of its funds seem to have been the only disasters it escaped; and as to the latter, the most probable reason is that it never had any quantity of funds worth embezzling. 1959 October 14, Michael Robbins, “The Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 721:
  2. Likely to happen.
    • With all the support we have, success is looking probable.
  3. Supporting, or giving ground for, belief, but not demonstrating.
    • probable evidence 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC:
    • From an examination of the Teutonic words for "temple" Grimm has made it probable that amongst the Germans the oldest sanctuaries were natural woods. 1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 8:
  4. (obsolete) Capable of being proved.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most probable Degree=Sup lexicographic
more probable Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Antonyms

improbable

Deriveds

nonprobable · probableness · probably · equiprobable · probable cause · probable error · unprobable · probabilify · probability · probabilistics

Relateds

probeable · possible

Translations (85)

sh vjerovatan (likely to be true) · uk ймові́рний (likely to happen) · oc probable (likely to happen) · fr probable (likely to happen) · be вераго́дны (likely to be true) · es probable (likely to be true) · nn sannsynleg (likely to be true) · sh verovatan (likely to be true) · gl probable (likely to be true) · ja 高確率の (likely to be true) · vo luveratik (likely to be true) · et tõenäoline (likely to be true) · gl probable (likely to happen) · nn sannsynleg (likely to happen) · ro probabil (likely to be true) · ja 高確率の (likely to happen) · hy հավանական (likely to be true) · bg правдоподо́бен (likely to be true) · be праўдападо́бны (likely to be true) · lv ticams (likely to be true) · de wahrscheinlich (likely to be true) · la probabilis (likely to be true) · cmn 可能 (likely to happen) · no sannsynlig (likely to be true) · cs pravděpodobný (likely to be true) · sh verojatan (likely to be true) · fi todennäköinen (likely to happen) · eo verŝajna (likely to be true) · sh вјеројатан (likely to be true) · gl probábel (likely to happen) · es probable (likely to happen) · sh вероватан (likely to be true) · hu valószínű (likely to be true) · hy հավանական (likely to happen) · ca probable (likely to happen) · hi प्रायिक (likely to be true) · hu valószínű (likely to happen) · sh веројатан (likely to be true) · fi todennäköinen (likely to be true) · hi प्रायिक (likely to happen) · pl prawdopodobny (likely to be true) · hi संभावित (likely to happen) · sh вјероватан (likely to be true) · ca probable (likely to be true) · uk імові́рний (likely to happen) · la probabilis (likely to happen) · ja 起こりそうな (likely to happen) · el ενδεχόμενος (likely to happen) · ru правдоподо́бный (likely to be true) · hi संभावित (likely to be true) · el πιθανός (likely to be true) · sh vjerojatan (likely to be true) · fr probable (likely to be true) · pt provável (likely to happen) · it probabile (likely to be true) · sl verjeten (likely to be true) · de wahrscheinlich (likely to happen) · oc probable (likely to be true) · fi luultava (likely to be true) · eo probabla (likely to happen) · bg вероя́тен (likely to be true) · ast probable (likely to happen) · ru вероя́тный (likely to happen) · lv iespējams (likely to be true) · gl probábel (likely to be true) · ast probable (likely to be true) · el πιθανός (likely to happen) · eo probabla (likely to be true) · ka სავარაუდო (likely to be true) · ga is dóigh (likely to be true) · io probabla (likely to be true) · de glaubhaft (likely to be true) · ka შესაძლო (likely to be true) · uk правдоподі́бний (likely to be true) · sk pravdepodobný (likely to be true) · pt provável (likely to be true) · eo verŝajna (likely to happen) · be вераго́дны (likely to happen) · uk імові́рний (likely to be true) · uk ймові́рний (likely to be true) · ja 起こりそうな (likely to be true) · he סָבִיר (likely to be true) · cmn 可能 (likely to be true) · ru вероя́тный (likely to be true) · no sannsynlig (likely to happen)

probable en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈpɹɑbəbl̩/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from probāre (“to test, examine”); see probe, probity, prove. Compare recent doublet provable.

Meanings

  1. Something that is likely.
    • Four of the 32 251 Ku aircraft turned back, but the other 28 fought for 20 minutes against a reported 100 enemy aircraft, claiming 18 destroyed and five probables. 2013, Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, Christopher Shores, Japanese Naval Fighter Aces 1932-45, page 57:
  2. A person who is likely to appear or do a certain thing.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
probables Number=Plur lexicographic