as in probability
the quality or state of being likely to occur
the weatherman on TV said that the likelihood of rain today was fairly high
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Recent Examples of likelihood
Build a driveshaft for the second season, which was growing from a flickering hope to an alarming likelihood.
—
Debora Cahn, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
As the rumors of ghost-directing get dismissed and the focus turns to the respective quality of the films, the likelihood increases for more creators to get a voice on the big screen, given that Druski and other top names have Hollywood features in the works.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
For chest pain, doctors use scoring tools that estimate a patient’s short-term likelihood of a heart attack based on their symptoms and test results.
—Andrew Parsons, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for likelihood
Debora Cahn, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
The likelihood of lightning increases as a thunderstorm gets closer and reaches its highest point when the storm is directly overhead.
—Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
As the rumors of ghost-directing get dismissed and the focus turns to the respective quality of the films, the likelihood increases for more creators to get a voice on the big screen, given that Druski and other top names have Hollywood features in the works.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
For chest pain, doctors use scoring tools that estimate a patient’s short-term likelihood of a heart attack based on their symptoms and test results.
—Andrew Parsons, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for likelihood
Recent Examples of Synonyms for likelihood
probability
Noun
-
The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
Here's what to know Beyond this summer, probabilities for El Niño to continue until at least November are near or above 90%.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Likelihood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/likelihood. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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