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Definition of unlikely
1 : not likely : improbable an unlikely outcome
2 : likely to fail : unpromising
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Examples of unlikely in a Sentence
He was an unlikely candidate for the position.
A big city seems like an unlikely place to find wildlife.
I received support from an unlikely ally.
Recent Examples of unlikely from the Web
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Despite high-level American and Kuwaiti mediation efforts, a deal appears unlikely.
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That prospect appears unlikely as Trump grows frustrated over Beijing’s level of economic pressure on the North, its wayward ally.
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That prospect appears unlikely as Trump grows frustrated over Beijing’s level of economic pressure on the North, its wayward ally.
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But that seems unlikely to happen — the last thing the NCAA wants is essentially unlimited transfers.
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But if the diagnosis is that the person's condition is unlikely to improve with treatment, then other options, such as involuntary commitment, are possibilities.
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But any deal is unlikely to happen, in part because of labor opposition, said Hunter Keay, an analyst at Wolfe Research.
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Moving to Brooklyn, however, the unlikely nexus of old-school Italian cuisine and the hipster pickling craze, made the classic condiment—
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This option feels unlikely, if only because actress Joan Chen is not on the cast list for The Return.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unlikely'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of unlikely
14th century
UNLIKELY Defined for English Language Learners
unlikely
playDefinition of unlikely for English Language Learners
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: not likely
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: not seeming to be right or suited for a purpose
UNLIKELY Defined for Kids
unlikely
playDefinition of unlikely for Students
unlikelier
;unlikeliest
1 : not likely an unlikely story
2 : not promising This is an unlikely place for fishing.
Learn More about unlikely
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unlikely Spanish Central: Translation of unlikely Nglish: Translation of unlikely for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of unlikely for Arabic speakers
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