probability
8 synonyms and 0 antonyms for probability, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — How likely something is to happen.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use probability
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Latin probabilitas, "credibility" or "likelihood," from probabilis, "provable" or "credible."
Full origin of probability →Frequently asked questions
What does “probability” mean?
The word “probability” means how likely something is to happen. In plain terms, how likely something is to happen, expressed loosely or as an exact number in math.
How do you pronounce “probability”?
“Probability” is pronounced prob-uh-BIHL-ih-tee (/ˌpɹɑb.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/ in IPA).
How do you use “probability” in a sentence?
Here is “probability” used in a sentence: “The probability of rain tomorrow is quite high.”
What is another word for “probability”?
Words with a similar meaning to “probability” include likelihood, likeliness, probableness and probality.
What part of speech is “probability”?
“Probability” is a noun.
Where does the word “probability” come from?
The word “probability” comes from Latin. From Latin probabilitas, "credibility" or "likelihood," from probabilis, "provable" or "credible.".
Is “probability” a common word?
“Probability” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “probability” have?
“Probability” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: how likely something is to happen.
What is the difference between probability and possibility?
Possibility concerns whether something can happen at all, while probability measures how likely it is to happen. Something can be possible yet have a very low probability, such as winning a lottery. In mathematics, probability is given a precise value between 0 and 1.
What is the difference between probability and odds?
Probability expresses the chance of an event as a number between 0 and 1, or as a percentage. Odds compare the chance of the event happening with the chance of it not happening, so a probability of 0.25 corresponds to odds of 1 to 3. The two are related but calculated differently.
Can a probability be greater than 1?
No. By definition, a probability is a number between 0 and 1, where 0 means an event is impossible and 1 means it is certain. Expressed as a percentage, probability always falls between 0% and 100%.
What is the difference between probability and likelihood?
In everyday English the two words are interchangeable, and dictionaries list likelihood as a synonym of probability. In technical statistics, however, probability describes the chance of an outcome, while likelihood measures how well a hypothesis explains data that has already been observed. Outside statistics, the distinction rarely matters.