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
And probably 80% of the revenues of the company were coming from print.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026
As the emotional Moon stimulates expansive Jupiter, we’ll probably be drawn to a variety of possibilities.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
College students in Indiana will have time off from classes to can relax, pick up more hours at their jobs or jet-set off to a hotspot spring break destination (Florida, probably).
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
More than 25 years on and Langley — now chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment and one of the most powerful and respected execs in the industry — is probably attending fewer BAFTA screenings.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for probably
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026
As the emotional Moon stimulates expansive Jupiter, we’ll probably be drawn to a variety of possibilities.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
College students in Indiana will have time off from classes to can relax, pick up more hours at their jobs or jet-set off to a hotspot spring break destination (Florida, probably).
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
More than 25 years on and Langley — now chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment and one of the most powerful and respected execs in the industry — is probably attending fewer BAFTA screenings.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for probably
Cite this Entry
“Probably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probably. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
probably
adverb
prob·a·bly
ˈpräb-(ə-)blē
ˈpräb-lē
: without much doubt : very likely
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
