unlikeliness

noun

un·​like·​li·​ness ˌən-ˈlī-klē-nəs How to pronounce unlikeliness (audio)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Callimachi was responsible for fact-checking the whole series, drawing on the paper’s expertise but not really beholden to it, sending out tidbits for piecemeal confirmation in a way that didn’t get to the heart of the story’s fundamental unlikeliness. James Harkin, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2021 Ducey would not comment on the merits of the two legal challenges still pending in Arizona — one involving Maricopa County's audit process and another involving the Election Day experiences of just two voters — despite their unlikeliness to affect election results. Maria Polletta, The Arizona Republic, 18 Nov. 2020 Every season of this show, especially the third and (potentially) final season, premiering this week, has been thematically structured around the unsustainability of its own premise, the sheer madcap unlikeliness of its conceit. Phillip Maciak, The New Republic, 15 Mar. 2023 LA Times food editor Daniel Hernandez noted the unlikeliness of an authentic taco featuring refried beans (especially ones that were unrecognizable as such). Judy Berman, Time, 11 Nov. 2022 Such a price list is rare, with interest in protection on American debt usually low given the unlikeliness of default. Joe Rennison, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2023 Obama reflected on her humble childhood on Chicago’s South Side and the unlikeliness of someone like her winding up with their portrait hanging in the White House. Eli Stokolsstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2022 Heather Collins, a West Los Angeles salon owner and Green party candidate, acknowledged the unlikeliness of her bid. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2021 Additionally, Blunt pointed out the unlikeliness that any Republican senator would vote for raising the corporation tax just four years after passing legislation that lowered it. Davone Morales And Jack Arnholz, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unlikeliness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unlikeliness was circa 1560

Dictionary Entries Near unlikeliness

Cite this Entry

“Unlikeliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlikeliness. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

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