likelihood

Or like·li·ness

[lahyk-lee-hood]

noun

1. the state of being likely or probable; probability.

2. a probability or chance of something.

   There is a strong likelihood of his being elected.

3. Archaic.,  indication of a favorable end; promise.

likelihood

/ ˈlaɪklɪˌnɪs, ˈlaɪklɪˌhʊd /

noun

1. the condition of being likely or probable; probability

2. something that is probable

3. statistics the probability of a given sample being randomly drawn regarded as a function of the parameters of the population. The likelihood ratio is the ratio of this to the maximized likelihood See also maximum likelihood

Other Word Forms

• superlikelihood noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of likelihood¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, likelihood is from the Middle English word liklihood. See likely, -hood

Example Sentences

She said spending more now will ultimately save customers over the long run by lowering the likelihood of outages and costly repairs.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

All this should point you toward an inescapable but often overlooked fact: Stocks are likely to be the best-performing asset, but even a high likelihood isn’t the same thing as certainty.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The effect on humans “will in all likelihood be catastrophic.”

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Watchman lowers the likelihood of blood clots, in turn reducing the risk of stroke.

Read more on Barron's

Last year a report from the forensic accountants Kroll Associates concluded that there was a "reasonable likelihood" that faults with Capture had resulted in shortfalls in Post Office branches in a similar way to Horizon.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• possibility 
• probability 
• prospect 
• tendency 
• trend