as in probability
the quality or state of being likely to occur
the weatherman on TV said that the likelihood of rain today was fairly high
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Recent Examples of likelihood
There is a high likelihood of rainfall totals as high as 4 inches through Friday, with some areas seeing possibly as much rain as 6 inches, the NWS said.
—
Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 12 June 2025
That increases the likelihood the Federal Reserve can consider cutting interest rates later in the year, which is a signal for investors to buy bonds now to lock in current rates, helping bring down yields.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 12 June 2025
However, a dog's diet, exercise habits and an owner's likelihood of bringing their canine to the vet could affect whether those breeds have higher or lower predispositions to diarrhea, the authors wrote.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
And many continuing care communities are also using it to forecast the likelihood that their residents will need additional care — and for how long.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for likelihood
Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 12 June 2025
That increases the likelihood the Federal Reserve can consider cutting interest rates later in the year, which is a signal for investors to buy bonds now to lock in current rates, helping bring down yields.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 12 June 2025
However, a dog's diet, exercise habits and an owner's likelihood of bringing their canine to the vet could affect whether those breeds have higher or lower predispositions to diarrhea, the authors wrote.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
And many continuing care communities are also using it to forecast the likelihood that their residents will need additional care — and for how long.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for likelihood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likelihood
probability
Noun
-
The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2025
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The probability of moving was also found to nearly triple in the wake of divorce with families relocating to neighborhoods with lower incomes.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Likelihood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likelihood. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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