likelihood

or like·li·ness

[ lahyk-lee-hood ]
See synonyms for likelihood on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. Archaic. indication of a favorable end; promise.

Origin of likelihood

1
First recorded in 1350–1400, likelihood is from the Middle English word liklihood.See likely, -hood

Other words from likelihood

  • su·per·like·li·hood, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use likelihood in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for likelihood

likelihood

likeliness (ˈlaɪklɪˌnɪs)

/ (ˈlaɪklɪˌhʊd) /


noun
  1. the condition of being likely or probable; probability

  2. something that is probable

  1. 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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012