Probably
Definition
The adverb "probably" expresses that something is very likely to happen or to be true, though not absolutely certain.
Parts of Speech
- Adverb
Pronunciation
American English
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈprɑːbəbli/
- Respelling: PRAH-buh-blee
British English
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈprɒbəbli/
- Respelling: PROB-uh-blee
Etymology
"Probably" developed in Middle English by adding the adverbial suffix “‑ly” to "probable," which stems from the Latin probabilis, meaning “worthy of approval, likely.” Its earliest recorded use in English dates to the late 15th century.
Derivatives
- Probable (adjective)
- Probability (noun)
- Probabilistic (adjective)
- Probabilistically (adverb)
- Improbably (adverb, antonymic form)
Synonyms
- Likely
- Presumably
- Possibly (when expressing moderate likelihood)
Antonyms
- Unlikely
- Improbably
- Doubtfully
Usage
"Probably" is common in both formal and informal registers. Examples include: “She will probably finish the report by noon,” and “It’s probably best to call ahead.”
Related Terms
- Likely: Having a high chance of occurring or being true.
- Possibility: Something that may happen or be the case.
- Probability: A measure of how likely an event is to occur.
Detailed Definitions
Adverb
- Almost certainly; with high probability: Indicates a strong expectation without absolute assurance.
- Example: “They will probably announce the results tomorrow.”
- As is likely to happen or be true, though not guaranteed: Softens a statement to acknowledge some uncertainty.
- Example: “He is probably the best candidate for the role.”
probably
It will probably rain this afternoon — there’s a strong (but not certain) 70‑80 % chance.
He is probably the best candidate for the role.
She will probably finish the report by noon.
🇨🇳 Mandarin
- 可能 (Probably): Kěnéng
- IPA Pronunciation: /kʰeɪ̯35 næŋ35/
- Respelling in English: Kuh-nuhng
- 大概 (Perhaps): Dàgài
- IPA Pronunciation: /ta51 kaɪ̯214−21/
- Respelling in English: Dah-guy
🇮🇳 Hindi
- शायद (Perhaps): Shāyad
- IPA Pronunciation: /ʃɑːjad/
- Respelling in English: Sha-yaad
- संभवतः (Possibly): Sambhavataḥ
- IPA Pronunciation: /səmbhʋət̪ɑːh/
- Respelling in English: Sambhav-tah
🇪🇸 Spanish
- Probablemente (Probably)
- IPA Pronunciation: /pɾo.βa.bleˈmen̪.te/
- Respelling in English: Pro-bah-ble-men-te
- Quizás (Perhaps)
- IPA Pronunciation: /kiˈsas/
- Respelling in English: Kee-sas
🇫🇷 French
- Probablement (Probably)
- IPA Pronunciation: /pʁɔ.ba.ble.mɑ̃/
- Respelling in English: Pro-ba-ble-mahn
- Peut-être (Maybe)
- IPA Pronunciation: /pø.tɛtʁ/
- Respelling in English: Pu-tet-re
🇸🇦 Modern Standard Arabic
- ربما (Perhaps): Rubamā
- IPA Pronunciation: /ruːbamaː/
- Respelling in English: Roo-ba-maa
- على الأرجح (Probably): Ala al'arjah
- IPA Pronunciation: /ʕalaː lʔarʒaħ/
- Respelling in English: Ala al-ar-jah
🇧🇩 Bengali
- সম্ভবত (Probably): Sambhabata
- IPA Pronunciation: /ʃɔmbhɔbat̪a/
- Respelling in English: Shom-bho-ba-ta
- হয়তো (Maybe): Hoyto
- IPA Pronunciation: /hojto/
- Respelling in English: Hoi-to
🇷🇺 Russian
- Вероятно (Probably): Veroyatno
- IPA Pronunciation: /vʲɪrɐjˈatnə/
- Respelling in English: Vee-ro-ya-t-no
- Может быть (Maybe): Mozhét byt'
- IPA Pronunciation: /mɐˈʐɛt ˈbɨtʲ/
- Respelling in English: Mo-zhet bit'
🇵🇹 Portuguese
- Provavelmente (Probably)
- IPA Pronunciation: /pɾo.vɐ.vɛlˈmẽ.tʃi/
- Respelling in English: Pro-va-vel-men-chi
- Talvez (Maybe)
- IPA Pronunciation: /taɫˈveʃ/
- Respelling in English: Tal-vesh
🇮🇩 Indonesian
- Mungkin (Maybe)
- IPA Pronunciation: /muŋkin/
- Respelling in English: Moon-kin
- Kemungkinan (Possibly)
- IPA Pronunciation: /kəmungkinan/
- Respelling in English: Ke-moo-ng-kin-an
🇩🇪 German
- Wahrscheinlich (Probably)
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈvaːɐ̯ʃaɪ̯nˌlɪç/
- Respelling in English: Vaah-shain-lich
- Vielleicht (Perhaps)
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈfiːlaɪ̯çt/
- Respelling in English: Fee-lai-cht
🇯🇵 Japanese
- おそらく (Probably): Osoraku
- IPA Pronunciation: /o̞so̞ɾa̠kɯ̟ᵝ/
- Respelling in English: O-so-ra-ku
- 多分 (Maybe): Tabun
- IPA Pronunciation: /ta̠bɯ̟ᵝɴ/
- Respelling in English: Ta-bun
🇻🇳 Vietnamese
- Có lẽ (Maybe)
- IPA Pronunciation: /kɔ˧ˀ˧ lɛ˧˧/
- Respelling in English: Co le
- Có thể (Possibly)
- IPA Pronunciation: /kɔ˧ˀ˧ thɛ˧˧/
- Respelling in English: Co the
🇰🇷 Korean
- 아마 (Probably): Ama
- IPA Pronunciation: /a̠ma̠/
- Respelling in English: A-ma
- 가능성이 높다 (Likely): Ganeungseong-i nopda
- IPA Pronunciation: /ka̠nɯŋs͈ʌ̹ŋi nop̚t̚a̠/
- Respelling in English: Ga-neung-seong-i nop-da
🇹🇷 Turkish
- Muhtemelen (Probably)
- IPA Pronunciation: /muhtemelen/
- Respelling in English: Muhtemelen
- Belki (Maybe)
- IPA Pronunciation: /belki/
- Respelling in English: Belki
Probably
Definition
Probably is an adverb indicating a high degree of likelihood or certainty. It often conveys that something is very likely to happen or be the case, but it's not guaranteed.
Parts of Speech
"Probably" is used as an adverb.
Pronunciation
- IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet): /ˈprɒbəbli/
- American English respelling: prŏb′ə-blē
- British English respelling: prŏb′ə-blee
Etymology
The term "probably" comes from the Latin word "probabilis," meaning "provable," which is derived from "probare," meaning "to try, test, prove." The English term has been in use since the 16th century.
Derivatives
- Improbably
- Probable
- Probability
Synonyms
- Likely
- Presumably
- Seemingly
Antonyms
- Unlikely
- Improbably
- Doubtfully
Usage
"Probably" is often used to express uncertainty or to show that something is likely to occur or be true. It can be used in a variety of contexts, from informal conversation to formal writing.
Related Terms
- Probability: The measure of the likelihood that a given event will occur.
- Probable: Likely to be the case or to happen.
Detailed Definition
As an adverb, "probably" has one main meaning:
- Indicating the high likelihood or probability of something.
- Example: It will probably rain tomorrow.
🇵🇰 Urdu
- شاید (Maybe): Shāyad
- IPA Pronunciation: /ʃɑːjad/
- Respelling in English: Sha-yaad
- ممکن ہے (Possibly): Mumkin hai
- IPA Pronunciation: /mʊmkɪn heɪ/
- Respelling in English: Mumkin hey
