probable

[ prob-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. likely to occur or prove true:

   He foresaw a probable business loss. He is the probable writer of the article.

2. having more evidence for than against, or evidence that inclines the mind to belief but leaves some room for doubt.
3. affording ground for belief.

probable

/ ˈprɒbəbəl /

adjective

1. likely to be or to happen but not necessarily so
2. most likely

   the probable cause of the accident

noun

1. a person who is probably to be chosen for a team, event, etc

Other Words From

• non·proba·ble adjective
• non·proba·bly adverb
• quasi-proba·ble adjective
• quasi-proba·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of probable¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin probābilis likely, literally, capable of standing a test, equivalent to probā ( re ) to test ( probe ) + -bilis -ble

Word History and Origins

Origin of probable¹

C14: via Old French from Latin probābilis that may be proved, from probāre to prove

Example Sentences

A post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered injuries including "probable human bite marks", an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August 2023.

From BBC

Bitter political brawls over Trump's picks isn't too probable in either chamber of Congress since Republicans will control both once he takes office in January.

From BBC

He also alleged at the time that the officer had no probable cause to justify the search and expressed confidence that the case would “go nowhere.”

From Los Angeles Times

When asked a question, they ply through their database and try to synthesize from it the most probable answer.

From Los Angeles Times

Coming off his elbow surgery, the probable soon-to-be three-time MVP was probably going to be on a restricted workload next year anyway.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apparent
• credible
• feasible
• plausible
• possible
• presumed
• reasonable