probable
Americanadjective
-
likely to occur or prove true.
He foresaw a probable business loss. He is the probable writer of the article.
-
having more evidence for than against, or evidence that inclines the mind to belief but leaves some room for doubt.
-
affording ground for belief.
adjective
-
likely to be or to happen but not necessarily so
-
most likely
the probable cause of the accident
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonprobable adjective
- nonprobably adverb
- quasi-probable adjective
- quasi-probably adverb
Etymology
Origin of probable
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin probābilis likely, literally, capable of standing a test, equivalent to probā ( re ) to test ( probe ) + -bilis -ble
Compare meaning
How does probable compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The most probable path may be no move at all.
Of the 23 suspected and probable cases, all of whom are young adults and teenagers, two people have died and four were in intensive care as of Monday.
From BBC
“You have to meet certain standards in order to obtain a warrant, because a warrant is extraordinary. A warrant is saying we believe there is probable cause to seize evidence, and we need it now.”
From Los Angeles Times
“I was unable to determine probable cause,” the deputy wrote in her report.
From Salon
The number of confirmed cases previously dropped on Sunday, from 23 to 20, while the number of probable cases also fell from 11 to nine.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
