probable

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɹɑbəbl̩/ UK /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #10239

Meanings

1

adj
Likely to be true or to happen.

It's probable that they will arrive late because of the storm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · likely to be true or to... likely

Opposites

improbable

Word family

Derived forms equiprobablenonprobableprobabilifyprobabilisticsprobability probableness probablyunprobable

Related forms possible probeable

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

probable cause
a legal standard of sufficient grounds for certain official actions such as a search

Adjective + noun

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.

*bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European probable Middle English probābilis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# probable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹɑbəbl̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/
**Frequency rank:** 10239

## Meanings
1. Likely to be true or to happen.

## Examples
- It's probable that they will arrive late because of the storm.

## Antonyms
- improbable

## Derived Forms
- equiprobable
- nonprobable
- probabilify
- probabilistics
- probability
- probableness
- probably
- unprobable

## Related Forms
- possible
- probeable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰuH-
- Root: probable
- Root: probābilis

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Probable comes 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. In present-day English it covers likely to be true or to happen. The wider family includes derived forms such as equiprobable, nonprobable, probabilify, probabilistics, probability and related forms such as possible, probeable.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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