adj · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/
General-American:/ˈpɹɑbəbl̩/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R AA1 B AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Likely or most likely to be true.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
It's probable that it will rain tomorrow.
The probable source of the failure was the mass of feathers in the intake manifold.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Likely to happen.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
With all the support we have, success is looking probable.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Supporting, or giving ground for, belief, but not demonstrating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Capable of being proved.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Something that is likely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A person who is likely to appear or do a certain thing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective
Meaning 7
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: likely
Antonyms: improbable
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
apparently destined
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the probable consequences of going ahead with the scheme
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
an applicant likely to be chosen
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: applicant, applier
History
Etymology
From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from probāre (“to test, examine”); see probe, probity, prove. Compare recent doublet provable.
Across languages
Translations
84 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հավանական
(havanakan)
— likely to be true
Asturian:
probable
— likely to be true
Belarusian:
праўдападо́бны
(prawdapadóbny)
— likely to be true
Belarusian:
вераго́дны
(vjerahódny)
— likely to be true
Bulgarian:
правдоподо́бен
(pravdopodóben)
— likely to be true
Bulgarian:
вероя́тен
(verojáten)
— likely to be true
Catalan:
probable
— likely to be true
Chinese Mandarin:
可能
(kěnéng)
— likely to be true
Czech:
pravděpodobný
— likely to be true
Esperanto:
probabla
— likely to be true
Esperanto:
verŝajna
— likely to be true
Estonian:
tõenäoline
— likely to be true
Finnish:
todennäköinen
— likely to be true
Finnish:
luultava
— likely to be true
French:
probable
— likely to be true
Galician:
probable
— likely to be true
Galician:
probábel
— likely to be true
Georgian:
შესაძლო
(šesaʒlo)
— likely to be true
Georgian:
სავარაუდო
(savaraudo)
— likely to be true
German:
glaubhaft
— likely to be true
German:
wahrscheinlich
— likely to be true
Greek:
πιθανός
(pithanós)
— likely to be true
Hebrew:
סָבִיר
(savír)
— likely to be true
Hindi:
संभावना
(sambhāvnā)
— likely to be true
Hindi:
संभावित
(sambhāvit)
— likely to be true
Hungarian:
valószínű
— likely to be true
Ido:
probabla
— likely to be true
Irish:
is dóigh
— likely to be true
Italian:
probabile
— likely to be true
Japanese:
起こりそうな
(okorisō na)
— likely to be true
Japanese:
高確率の
(kōkakuritsu no)
— likely to be true
Latin:
probabilis
— likely to be true
Latvian:
ticams
— likely to be true
Latvian:
iespējams
— likely to be true
Norwegian Bokmål:
sannsynlig
— likely to be true
Norwegian Nynorsk:
sannsynleg
— likely to be true
Occitan:
probable
— likely to be true
Polish:
prawdopodobny
— likely to be true
Portuguese:
provável
— likely to be true
Romanian:
probabil
— likely to be true
Russian:
правдоподо́бный
(pravdopodóbnyj)
— likely to be true
Russian:
вероя́тный
(verojátnyj)
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
вероватан
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
вјероватан
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
веројатан
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
вјеројатан
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
verovatan
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
vjerovatan
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
verojatan
— likely to be true
Serbo-Croatian:
vjerojatan
— likely to be true
Slovak:
pravdepodobný
— likely to be true
Slovene:
verjeten
— likely to be true
Spanish:
probable
— likely to be true
Ukrainian:
правдоподі́бний
(pravdopodíbnyj)
— likely to be true
Ukrainian:
імові́рний
(imovírnyj)
— likely to be true
Ukrainian:
ймові́рний
(jmovírnyj)
— likely to be true
Volapük:
luveratik
— likely to be true
Armenian:
հավանական
(havanakan)
— likely to happen
Asturian:
probable
— likely to happen
Belarusian:
вераго́дны
(vjerahódny)
— likely to happen
Catalan:
probable
— likely to happen
Chinese Mandarin:
可能
(kěnéng)
— likely to happen
Esperanto:
probabla
— likely to happen
Esperanto:
verŝajna
— likely to happen
Finnish:
todennäköinen
— likely to happen
French:
probable
— likely to happen
Galician:
probable
— likely to happen
Galician:
probábel
— likely to happen
German:
wahrscheinlich
— likely to happen
Greek:
πιθανός
(pithanós)
— likely to happen
Greek:
ενδεχόμενος
(endechómenos)
— likely to happen
Hindi:
संभावना
(sambhāvnā)
— likely to happen
Hungarian:
valószínű
— likely to happen
Japanese:
起こりそうな
(okorisō na)
— likely to happen
Japanese:
高確率の
(kōkakuritsu no)
— likely to happen
Latin:
probabilis
— likely to happen
Norwegian Bokmål:
sannsynlig
— likely to happen
Norwegian Nynorsk:
sannsynleg
— likely to happen
Occitan:
probable
— likely to happen
Portuguese:
provável
— likely to happen
Russian:
вероя́тный
(verojátnyj)
— likely to happen
Spanish:
probable
— likely to happen
Ukrainian:
імові́рний
(imovírnyj)
— likely to happen
Ukrainian:
ймові́рний
(jmovírnyj)
— likely to happen