adj
Meaning 1
Probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Rain is likely later this afternoon.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
likely
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈlaɪkli/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -aɪkli
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CMU ARPABET: L AY1 K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Reasonably to be expected; apparently destined, probable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: infinitive, with-to
Examples
- Do you think there's likely to be snow?
- He is likely to succeed at anything he tries.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Appropriate, suitable; believable; promising, having a good potential.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Jones is a likely candidate for management.
- The relationship with social status is a likely topic for investigation.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Plausible; within the realm of credibility.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- not a very likely excuse.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 5
Leading with high probability to some specified outcome.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- a likely recipe for disaster.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 6
Attractive; pleasant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
Examples
- I found a likely spot under a shady tree for the picnic.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 7
Similar; like; alike.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 8
Probably.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Examples
- Likely he’ll win the election in this economy.
- He’ll likely win the election in this economy.
- He likely will win the election in this economy.
- Most likely he’ll win the election in this economy.
- He’ll most likely win the election in this economy.
- He most likely will win the election in this economy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: see synonyms at probably
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 9
Similarly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 10
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 11
A census-designated place in Modoc County, California, United States.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
Something or somebody considered likely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective
Meaning 13
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- these services are likely to be available to us all before long
- she is likely to forget
- a likely place for a restaurant
- the broken limb is likely to fall
- rain is likely
- a likely topic for investigation
- likely candidates for the job
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: unlikely
adjective
Meaning 14
likely but not certain to be or become true or real
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a likely result
- he foresaw a probable loss
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: probable
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 15
within the realm of credibility
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- not a very likely excuse
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 16
expected to become or be; in prospect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- potential clients
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: potential
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 17
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- He is probably out of the country
- in all likelihood we are headed for war
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: probably, in all likelihood, in all probability, belike
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English likely, likly, lykly, likliche, from Old English ġelīclīċ (“suitable”) and Old Norse líkligr (“likely”) (probably independent formations), equivalent to like + -ly (adjectival suffix).
From Middle English likely, likly, lykly, likliche, from Old English ġelīclīċe (“equally”) and Old Norse líkliga, glíkliga (“likely”), both from Proto-Germanic *līkalīka, equivalent to like + -ly (adverbial suffix).
Across languages
Translations
91 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: հավանական (havanakan) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Breton: gwirheñvel — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Bulgarian: вероятен (verojaten) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Catalan: probable — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Danish: sandsynlig — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Esperanto: verŝajna — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Faroese: sannlíkur — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Finnish: todennäköinen — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- French: probable — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- German: wahrscheinlich — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Ancient Greek: εἰκός (eikós) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Hungarian: valószínű — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Hunsrik: wascheinlich — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Irish: is dóigh — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Irish: dócha — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Italian: probabile — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Japanese: きっと (kitto) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Japanese: おそらく (osoraku) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Latin: probābilis — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Latvian: ticams — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Latvian: iespējams — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Māori: tinga — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Norwegian: sannsynlig — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Old English: on wēne — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Polish: prawdopodobny — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Portuguese: provável — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Russian: вероя́тный (verojátnyj) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Russian: возмо́жный (vozmóžnyj) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Serbo-Croatian: vjerojatan — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Slovak: pravdepodobný — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Spanish: probable — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Swedish: sannolik — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Ukrainian: імові́рний (imovírnyj) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Ukrainian: ймові́рний (jmovírnyj) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Ukrainian: можли́вий (možlývyj) — probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Bulgarian: вероятен (verojaten) — displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
- Finnish: luultava — displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
- Finnish: todennäköinen — displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
- Ancient Greek: εἰκός (eikós) — displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
- Italian: adatto — displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
- Norwegian: sannsynlig — displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
- Swedish: sannolik — displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
- Bulgarian: подходящ (podhodjašt) — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Finnish: mahdollinen — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Finnish: todennäköinen — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Hungarian: ígéretes — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Hungarian: esélyes — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Italian: promettente — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Latvian: ticams — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Russian: го́дный (gódnyj) — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Russian: подходя́щий (podxodjáščij) — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Russian: приго́дный (prigódnyj) — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Swedish: trolig — appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Bulgarian: правдоподобен (pravdopodoben) — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Esperanto: verŝajna — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Finnish: uskottava — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Finnish: todennäköinen — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- German: wahrscheinlich — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- German: glaubhaft — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- German: plausibel — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Hungarian: hihető — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Italian: verosimile — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Latvian: ticams — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Norwegian: sannsynlig — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Portuguese: verossímel — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Portuguese: verossímil — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Spanish: creíble — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Swedish: rimlig — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Swedish: trolig — plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Bulgarian: подходящ (podhodjašt) — suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
- Finnish: sopiva — suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
- Finnish: todennäköinen — suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
- Hungarian: megfelelő — suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
- Hungarian: alkalmas — suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
- Italian: adatto — suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
- Bulgarian: възможен (vǎzmožen) — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Danish: sandsynlig — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Finnish: lupaava — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Finnish: todennäköinen — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Hungarian: ígéretes — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Hungarian: biztató — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Hungarian: reménykeltő — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Italian: promettente — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Russian: многообеща́ющий (mnogoobeščájuščij) — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Russian: подающий надежды (podajuščij nadeždy) — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Russian: перспекти́вный (perspektívnyj) — promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- Finnish: miellyttävä — attractive; pleasant
- Italian: piacevole — attractive; pleasant
- Russian: привлека́тельный (privlekátelʹnyj) — attractive; pleasant
- Russian: очарова́тельный (očarovátelʹnyj) — attractive; pleasant
- Russian: обаятельный (obajatelʹnyj) — attractive; pleasant
Real reading context