probably
adverb
prob·a·bly
ˈprä-bə-blē 
ˈprä(b)-blē
: insofar as seems reasonably true, factual, or to be expected : without much doubt
is probably happy
it will probably rain
Examples of probably in a Sentence
The impact probably added all but the last few percent of Earth's mass and set the stage for Earth's and the Moon's subsequent evolution.
—
Mark Wilson, Physics Today, February 2008
It was no secret that McKay preferred the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, and that, along with his innocent optimism and snark-free sincerity, probably makes him hopelessly old-fashioned.
—Richard Hoffer, Sports Illustrated, 16 June 2008
But what these newly inaugurated gym rats probably don't know is that besides buffing up their bodies for summer, they're also buffing up their brains.
—Christen Brownlee, Science News, 25 Feb. 2006
It will probably rain today.
They will probably be here soon.
It was probably the best concert I've ever been to.
There were probably about 150 people at the wedding.
“Are you going to the picnic?” “Probably.”
“Can you finish painting the room today?” “Probably not.”
Mark Wilson, Physics Today, February 2008
It was no secret that McKay preferred the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, and that, along with his innocent optimism and snark-free sincerity, probably makes him hopelessly old-fashioned.
—Richard Hoffer, Sports Illustrated, 16 June 2008
But what these newly inaugurated gym rats probably don't know is that besides buffing up their bodies for summer, they're also buffing up their brains.
—Christen Brownlee, Science News, 25 Feb. 2006
It will probably rain today.
They will probably be here soon.
It was probably the best concert I've ever been to.
There were probably about 150 people at the wedding.
“Are you going to the picnic?” “Probably.”
“Can you finish painting the room today?” “Probably not.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Loyola has completed its season at 25-1-1 and will probably be the No. 1 seed for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The solution to those problems is probably not finding strangers to date in person rather than online.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2024
Duke is a player who would probably be coveted in undrafted free agency.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024
Afterwards, Deadpool mentioned that Logan probably would have saved the man, and proceeded to speak in an Australian accent, a nod to Jackman’s natural speaking voice.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
His receipt of the prestigious Bollingen Prize, in 1959, for a book of new and selected poems, seems like a high point, but Schwartz probably intuited that the prize was awarded less out of admiration than pity.
—Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The initial investigation found that the loss of life was caused by the single explosion, and that troops who reported coming under gunfire and returning it were probably confused amid the chaos.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Well, a Hovde-Baldwin debate is probably not happening anytime soon.
—Daniel Bice, Journal Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2024
Knicks at Heat | Tuesday, April 2, 2024 What happens for Miami on the defensive end will probably again be a major factor in determining the outcome of Thursday’s meaningful game, as the Heat is 13-1 this season when holding its opponent under 100 points.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The solution to those problems is probably not finding strangers to date in person rather than online.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2024
Duke is a player who would probably be coveted in undrafted free agency.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024
Afterwards, Deadpool mentioned that Logan probably would have saved the man, and proceeded to speak in an Australian accent, a nod to Jackman’s natural speaking voice.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024
His receipt of the prestigious Bollingen Prize, in 1959, for a book of new and selected poems, seems like a high point, but Schwartz probably intuited that the prize was awarded less out of admiration than pity.
—Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
The initial investigation found that the loss of life was caused by the single explosion, and that troops who reported coming under gunfire and returning it were probably confused amid the chaos.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Well, a Hovde-Baldwin debate is probably not happening anytime soon.
—Daniel Bice, Journal Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2024
Knicks at Heat | Tuesday, April 2, 2024 What happens for Miami on the defensive end will probably again be a major factor in determining the outcome of Thursday’s meaningful game, as the Heat is 13-1 this season when holding its opponent under 100 points.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'probably.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near probably
Cite this Entry
“Probably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probably. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
probably
adverb
prob·a·bly
ˈpräb-(ə-)blē
ˈpräb-lē
: without much doubt : very likely
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