likely
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English likely, likly, lykly, likliche, from Old English ġelīclīċ (“likely”) and Old Norse líkligr (“likely”), both from Proto-Germanic *līkalīkaz, equivalent to like + -ly.
Adjective
likely (comparative likelier or more likely, superlative likeliest or most likely)
- probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
- Rain is likely later this afternoon.
- (as predicate, followed by to and infinitive) Reasonably to be expected; apparently destined, probable
- They are likely to become angry with him.
- He is likely to succeed at anything he tries.
- 2013 April 9, Andrei Lankov, “Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff.”, in New York Times[1]:
- People who talk about an imminent possibility of war seldom pose this question: What would North Korea’s leadership get from unleashing a war that they are likely to lose in weeks, if not days?
- 2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport[2]:
- In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages - with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive.
- appropriate, suitable; believable; having a good potential
- Jones is a likely candidate for management.
- plausible; within the realm of credibility
- not a very likely excuse.
- 2011 December 19, Kerry Brown, “Kim Jong-il obituary”, in The Guardian[3]:
- The DPRK propagated an extraordinary tale of his birth occurring on Mount Baekdu, one of Korea's most revered sites, being accompanied by shooting stars in the sky. It is more likely that he was born in a small village in the USSR, while his father was serving as a Soviet-backed general during the second world war.
- promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
- a likely topic for investigation.
- attractive; pleasant
- found a likely spot under a shady tree for the picnic.
- (obsolete) Similar; like; alike.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Edmund Spenser to this entry?)
Derived terms
Synonyms
- (as predicate, followed by "to" and infinitive): liable
Translations
probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring
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displaying the qualities or characteristics that make something probable
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appropriate; believable; having a good potential
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plausible; within the realm of credibility
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suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
promising; apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcome
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attractive; pleasant
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
likely (plural likelies)
- Something or somebody considered likely.
Etymology 2
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.
Adverb
likely (comparative more likely, superlative most likely) (US)
- (obsolete) Similarly.
- Probably.
- Likely he’ll win the election in this economy.
- 2018 February, Robert Draper, “They are Watching You—and Everything Else on the Planet: Technology and Our Increasing Demand for Security have Put Us All under Surveillance. Is Privacy Becoming just a Memory?”, in National Geographic[4], Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 June 2018:
- Dismounting on the sidewalk, their helmets still on, they fall into a lengthy conversation. Their dialogue is known only to them. But there is something the men themselves likely don’t know: About a mile away, from a windowless room, two other men are watching them.
Usage notes
- The adverb is a US usage and does not appear in British English except under direct influence of US practice.
- As an adverb, likely is often preceded by a modifier such as most or quite.
- Some usage guides consider adverbial likely - instead of probably - to be poor style and an artificial, sometimes pretentious way to imply a sense of erudition. One can also opt for the adverbial form likelily, which is however so rare that it is not recorded in most dictionaries.
Translations
similarly — see similarly
probably — see probably
Anagrams
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