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
This enables them to bypass Windows security policies during installation and decreases the likelihood of detection through anti-malware protection.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
From the vantage point of 2018, the likelihood that Tesla would perform so well as to clear all the performance hurdles was viewed as highly unlikely.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024
This reduces the likelihood of scratching your pots and pans.
—Claire Hoppe, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024
This suggests that the severity and location of psoriasis symptoms could influence the likelihood of developing psoriatic arthritis.
—Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for likelihood 
Davey Winder, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
From the vantage point of 2018, the likelihood that Tesla would perform so well as to clear all the performance hurdles was viewed as highly unlikely.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024
This reduces the likelihood of scratching your pots and pans.
—Claire Hoppe, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2024
This suggests that the severity and location of psoriasis symptoms could influence the likelihood of developing psoriatic arthritis.
—Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for likelihood
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'likelihood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Likelihood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/likelihood. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.
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likelihood
noun
like·li·hood
ˈlī-klē-ˌhu̇d
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