likelihood
noun
like·li·hood
ˈlī-klē-ˌhu̇d 
: the chance that something will happen : probability
There's very little likelihood of that happening. [=that is very unlikely to happen]
changes that in all likelihood will be made soon [=changes that are very likely to be made soon]
… a strong likelihood that he is correct …—
T. D. Anderson
T. D. AndersonThe likelihood of instability might increase because of the economic crisis.—Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria… could reduce the likelihood of a fire in their convenience store by banning smoking in their building …—Harriet E. Jones et al.
Harriet E. Jones et al.Examples of likelihood in a Sentence
There is a strong likelihood that he will be reelected.
the weatherman on TV said that the likelihood of rain today was fairly high
Recent Examples on the Web
While the likelihood of seeing the northern lights will be low for most of the U.S. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Alaska and states near the Canadian border will have a higher chance of seeing the lights.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 25 June 2025
The concept of behavioral forecasting, as introduced to me by Dr. Corey Crossan through our work together, has its roots in disciplines like criminology, such as predicting the likelihood of a repeat offense, and in health, predicting the probability of illness based on behaviors.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
And the administration’s turn away from investments in clean energy technologies increases the likelihood that China could come to dominate that sector while cuts to education and basic research funding undermine long-term U.S. competitiveness overall.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
The likelihood of a deal with Chavarria could not immediately be learned.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for likelihood
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Julia Gomez, USA Today, 25 June 2025
The concept of behavioral forecasting, as introduced to me by Dr. Corey Crossan through our work together, has its roots in disciplines like criminology, such as predicting the likelihood of a repeat offense, and in health, predicting the probability of illness based on behaviors.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
And the administration’s turn away from investments in clean energy technologies increases the likelihood that China could come to dominate that sector while cuts to education and basic research funding undermine long-term U.S. competitiveness overall.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
The likelihood of a deal with Chavarria could not immediately be learned.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for likelihood
Cite this Entry
“Likelihood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/likelihood. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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likelihood
noun
like·li·hood
ˈlī-klē-ˌhu̇d
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