Meaning of word probably

: insofar as seems reasonably true, factual, or to be expected : without much doubt

Synonyms

Example Sentences

The impact probably added all but the last few percent of Earth’s mass and set the stage for Earth’s and the Moon’s subsequent evolution.


—Mark Wilson, Physics Today, February 2008


It was no secret that McKay preferred the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, and that, along with his innocent optimism and snark-free sincerity, probably makes him hopelessly old-fashioned.


—Richard Hoffer, Sports Illustrated, 16 June 2008


But what these newly inaugurated gym rats probably don’t know is that besides buffing up their bodies for summer, they’re also buffing up their brains.


—Christen Brownlee, Science News, 25 Feb. 2006



It will probably rain today.



They will probably be here soon.



It was probably the best concert I’ve ever been to.



There were probably about 150 people at the wedding.



“Are you going to the picnic?” “Probably.”



“Can you finish painting the room today?” “Probably not.”

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Recent Examples on the Web

According to Colby Neuman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, probably not down in the valley.


—oregonlive, 12 Apr. 2023




Any shoes that cause pain or lead to toe cramps should probably be retired.


—Marisa Cohen, Good Housekeeping, 12 Apr. 2023




The development was probably one of the worst things ever to happen, ecologically speaking, to the American yard.


—Ted Steinberg, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2023




The group put the probably of this happening at about 15%.


—Julia Horowitz, CNN, 11 Apr. 2023




This lady was probably with her grandkids.


—Lori Nickel, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2023




Since the refinery’s accidental release, heavy rains have poured over the Bay Area, probably sweeping contamination into other areas, the air district said.


—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023




Fly Lines The fly line is probably the most critical piece of gear in fly fishing for bass.


—Jerry Audet, Field & Stream, 11 Apr. 2023




However, Jacobs is probably the fourth inside ‘backer at this point, though Myrick appears to have a bright future.


—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 11 Apr. 2023


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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘probably.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of probably was
in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near probably

Cite this Entry

“Probably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probably. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

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Last Updated:
13 Apr 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged

Источник

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • probablely (obsolete)

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English probably, probabily, equivalent to probable +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɒbəbli/, (colloquial) /ˈpɹɒbli/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɑbəbli/, (colloquial) /ˈpɹɑbli/, (colloquial) /ˈpɹɑəbli/

Adverb[edit]

probably (comparative more probably, superlative most probably)

  1. In all likelihood.

    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest‎[1]:

      “[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don’t know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes […] . And then, when you see [the senders], you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases. […]”

    • 2013 May–June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7:

      Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close […] above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them. Many insects probably use this strategy, which is a close analogy to crypsis in the visible world—camouflage and other methods for blending into one’s visual background.

Synonyms[edit]

  • (in all likelihood): likely, perhaps, maybe, possibly, presumably, most likely, doubtless, in all probability, perchance, as likely as not, as like as not

Translations[edit]

in all likelihood

  • Arabic: مِن اَلْمُحْتَمَل‎ (min al-muḥtamal), رُبَّمَا‎ (rubbamā)
    Hijazi Arabic: على الأغلب‎ (ʿala alʼaḡlab), مُحتمل‎ (muḥtamal)
    Moroccan Arabic: وقيل‎ (wa-qīla)
  • Armenian: հավանաբար (hy) (havanabar)
  • Azerbaijani: yəqin
  • Basque: seguraski
  • Belarusian: вераго́дна (vjerahódna), напэ́ўна (napéŭna)
  • Bulgarian: вероя́тно (bg) (verojátno)
  • Catalan: probablement (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 大概 (zh) (dàgài), 或許／或许 (zh) (huòxú)
  • Czech: pravděpodobně (cs), asi (cs), spíš (cs), spíše (cs)
  • Danish: sandsynligvis
  • Dutch: waarschijnlijk (nl)
  • Esperanto: verŝajne (eo), kredeble
  • Finnish: todennäköisesti (fi), luultavasti (fi)
  • French: probablement (fr), sans doute (fr), sûrement (fr)
  • Georgian: ალბათ (albat)
  • German: wahrscheinlich (de), glaublich
  • Greek: πιθανώς (el) (pithanós), μάλλον (el) (mállon)
  • Hebrew: כנראה‎ (kanir’é)
  • Hungarian: valószínűleg (hu)
  • Icelandic: líklega (is), sennilega
  • Ido: probable (io)
  • Indonesian: mungkin (id), kemungkinan (id)
  • Interlingua: probabilemente
  • Irish: is dócha (go)
  • Italian: probabilmente (it)
  • Japanese: 多分 (ja) (たぶん, tabun), 十中八九 (ja) (じっちゅうはっく, jitchūhakku), 恐らく (ja) (おそらく, osoraku)
  • Khmer: មុខជា (muk cie)
  • Korean: 아마 (ko) (ama)
  • Kurdish:
    Central Kurdish: لەوانەیە‎ (ckb) (lewaneye)
  • Latin: probabiliter, fortasse, fortassis
  • Latvian: droši vien
  • Macedonian: веројатно (verojatno)
  • Malay: barangkali
  • Maori: puano
  • Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: antakeligvis, trolig (no), sannsynlig (no)
  • Polish: prawdopodobnie (pl), przypuszczalnie (pl), chyba (pl)
  • Portuguese: provavelmente (pt)
  • Romanian: probabil (ro)
  • Russian: вероя́тно (ru) (verojátno), наве́рно (ru) (navérno)
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: вероватно / вјероватно, веројатно / вјеројатно
    Roman: verovatno (sh) / vjerovatno, verojatno / vjerojatno (sh)
  • Slovak: pravdepodobne
  • Slovene: verjetno
  • Spanish: probablemente (es), seguro (es), sin duda (es), seguramente (es)
  • Swedish: nog (sv), sannolikt (sv), troligen (sv), antagligen (sv), förmodligen (sv), troligtvis (sv)
  • Tagalog: baká (tl)
  • Thai: ท่าจะ (tâa jà)
  • Turkish: muhtemelen (tr), her halde
  • Ukrainian: пе́вно (pévno), імові́рно (imovírno) / ймові́рно (jmovírno)
  • Vietnamese: có lẽ (vi), có thể (vi)
  • Volapük: luveratiko
  • Walloon: dandjreus (wa), probåbe (wa), azår (wa)
  • Yiddish: מסתּמא‎ (mistome)
  • Yup’ik: -yugnarqe (verbal postbase)
  • Zazaki: teqez n, mı het ke, muhtemelen
Источник

Итак, все эти слова, разумеется, являются синонимами, и переводятся как «вероятно», «возможно». Но всё-таки нам надо научиться их отличать…

Если мы хотим найти подходящее слово среди «perhaps», «possibly», «maybe», «probably» для своего предложения, нам нужно понять, с какой вероятностью произойдёт или не произойдёт ситуация, о которой будем говорить:

♦️Если событие произойдёт с большой вероятностью — 50 и более процентов, тогда юзаем слово «probably»

He’ll probably have royal cheese and middle coke. — Он, скорее всего, будет роял чиз и среднюю колу (ты уже знаешь, что обычно заказывает твой дружочек, поэтому вероятность высока)

♦️ «Possibly» используем суперредко, в тех случаях когда вероятность от 1% до 100%. В речи нормальных людей, не помешанных на вероятности (привет технарям), это слово описывает события, которые чисто теоретически могут произойти.

Someone, possibly Ann, left the lights on. — Кто-то, возможно Энн, оставила свет в квартире включенным. То есть мы не уверены, что это была она, а просто знаем, что она была в квартире тогда. Но еще были Майк, Энди и Велимир. И свет мог не выключить каждый из них.

♦️Ну и, наконец, если вероятность того, что событие произойдет или не произойдет одинаковая, то есть 50/50 (орёл/решка), тогда юзаем «maybe» или «perhaps». Еще одна важная штука: perhaps может стоять только в начале или в конце предложения.

My least favourite teacher gave me A+ for the test. Perhaps I was wrong about him. — Мой самый нелюбимый учитель поставил мне 5+ за контрошу. Возможно, я ошибался на его счёт.

♦️А теперь отличие «maybe» и «perhaps»:
Здесь все изи. Maybe — повседневный, разговорный вариант, а вот «perhaps» уже более формальный

Предлагаем ещё раз закрепить❗️

▪️Probably — очень даже возможно, скорее всего
▪️Possibly — событие скорее всего не произойдёт
▪️Maybe — 50/50, разговорный вариант
▪️Perhaps — 50/50, формальный вариант

Если вы нашли ошибку, пожалуйста, выделите фрагмент текста и нажмите Ctrl+Enter. Мы обязательно поправим!

Источник

probably significant — статистически значимый  
he’ll probably come — он, может быть, придёт, впрочем кто его знает?  
conflict probably means war — этот конфликт может привести к войне; этот конфликт чреват войной  
most probably not — весьма малая вероятность  
probably economic potential resources — запасы, разработка которых в настоящее время нерентабельна  
you probably won’t believe me but — вы мне наверное не поверите, но  
what is probably — что вероятно  

It will probably rain today. 

Вероятно, сегодня будет дождь.

He is probably out of the country. 

Он, вероятно, находится за пределами страны.

Is she going to send it back? Probably not. 

Она собирается это возвращать? Скорее всего, нет.

They will probably be here soon. 

Они, вероятно, скоро будут здесь.

It will probably take about a week. 

Вероятно, это займёт около недели.

This would probably be a good time to take a break. 

Сейчас, пожалуй, самое время сделать перерыв.

It’s probably the best movie I have ever seen. 

Пожалуй, это лучший фильм, который я когда-либо видел.

‘Are you going to be able to do this?’ ‘Yes, probably.’ 

— Ты сможешь это сделать? — Да, наверное.

The building will be replaced, most probably by a modern sports centre. 

Скорее всего, на месте этого здания будет современный спортивный центр.

He will probably win the election. 

Вероятно, он победит на выборах.

It was probably the best concert I’ve ever been to. 

Это был, пожалуй, лучший концерт, на котором мне довелось побывать.

There were probably about 150 people at the wedding. 

На свадьбе было, наверное, человек сто пятьдесят.

Источник

We have 300 million people here..probably 250 million who are natural born and probably 130 million over 35 and probably 115 million with the residency requirement. ❋ Ann Althouse (2007)

Kansas will probably have to beat MU’s shaky press tonight without Selby, who is “probably doubtful,” according to Self because of a stress reaction in his right foot. ❋ Unknown (2011)

I’m thinking of a smaller, more ­entrepreneurial outfit, probably only 10 years old or even younger, and ­probably still run in a very hands-on way by its founder. ❋ Jeremy Bullmore (2010)

Back during the Korean War, George and Ralph used to patronize Asian prostitutes whenever they needed to score some «gash» a term probably unfamiliar to today’s more politically correct audiences. ❋ George Heymont (2011)

That probably translates as ‘we’ve seen the blowback of conversions with Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender, and we don’t want to risk our golden goose in such a manner’. ❋ Scott Mendelson (2010)

Admittedly, my definition probably differs from what seems to be the popular notion of that term. ❋ Jamie Merisotis (2011)

Palin probably is out because of the scandals in her family. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The name probably doesn’t mean much to you it doesn’t mean much to me, either, although it is of great interest to my creditors, but I am a Chase customer who, like you, has been victimized by the bad housing market. ❋ Jerry Zezima (2011)

I wasn’t sure what they were upset about either at the time, but after a moment I realized that the term probably didn’t strike others as being as inert as it did me so I changed the link. ❋ Ann Althouse (2008)

The term probably reminds them too much of the Village People. ❋ Kylopod (2008)

The word probably shares its origins with the Greek pitta and the Turkish pide, which tells us that it belongs to a wide, ancient Mediterranean family of flatbreads. ❋ John Dickie (2008)

In truth, the label probably overplays his Blairite leanings. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Moreover, when I was searching for Hamentaschen recipes to make this year, I found out that the name probably stemmed from a German word, Mohntaschen, which means Poppy-seed pockets. ❋ Unknown (2008)

It crossed my mind that the title probably wasn’t so prudent. ❋ Unknown (2007)

She is probably on [meth]. ❋ Urmimiisonmeth (2020)

[Dillon]: They will probably call off school today.
[Tom]: Yeah, i sure [hope so]. ❋ Cookies R Us (2008)

[Zac]: Damn [I’m good] at basketball.
[Vincent]: Probably. ❋ Rob (2003)

A: Where the hell is Tom?
B: He probably [ran down] [the train] track and died of [amnesia]. ❋ J Dogg (2003)

I will [probably not] [be back] to [my Mom’s] until Sunday. ❋ Silenx (2017)

Will you date a [co-worker]? [Probably not] but I may [give it a shot]. ❋ HoneyDewMelon30 (2016)

Him: [my head hurts]
Her: Why?
Him: because i [hit it] on a wall
Her: that’s [probabli] ❋ AJacks43 (2018)

Hey [Dave], what’s the probability of [rain] [tonight]? ❋ Yahooyas29 (2004)

A: People like [complaining].
B: Probably.
[—]
A: What time does [the football] game start?
B: Probably. ❋ 5Q (2011)

A: What if a bomb [goes off]? (IDK I couldn’t think of anything [bite me])
B: What’s the actual probability of that happening?
A: [Who gives a fuck] ❋ SlowXxXLearner (2009)

Источник
probably
вероятно, по всей видимости, может быть, возможно.
See may, .

English-Russian word troubles.
2014.

Смотреть что такое «probably» в других словарях:

  • Probably — may refer to: * Probability, the chance that something is likely to happen or be the case * Probably (South Park), an episode of the television series South Park * Probably (Fool s Garden song), a single by German pop band Fool s Garden …   Wikipedia

  • Probably — Prob a*bly, adv. In a probable manner; in likelihood. [1913 Webster] Distinguish between what may possibly and what will probably be done. L Estrange. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • probably — (adv.) mid 15c., plausibly, from PROBABLE (Cf. probable) + LY (Cf. ly) (2). As a general purpose qualifier, 1610s …   Etymology dictionary

  • probably — [adv] likely to happen apparently, as likely as not, assumably, as the case may be, believably, dollars to doughnuts*, doubtless, expediently, feasibly, imaginably, in all likelihood, in all probability, like enough, maybe, most likely, no doubt …   New thesaurus

  • probably — ► ADVERB ▪ almost certainly; as far as one knows or can tell …   English terms dictionary

  • probably — prob|a|bly [ prabəbli ] adverb *** used for saying that you think something is likely: You ll probably be gone by the time I get back. It s probably the most important game either team has faced for a long time. I ll cook a meal, probably lasagna …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • probably */*/*/ — UK [ˈprɒbəblɪ] / US [ˈprɑbəblɪ] adverb used for saying that you think something is likely You ll probably be gone by the time I get back. It s probably the most important match either team has faced for a long time. I ll cook a meal, probably a… …   English dictionary

  • probably — prob|a|bly W1S1 [ˈprɔbəbli US ˈpra: ] adv used to say that something is likely to happen, likely to be true etc ▪ It will probably take about a week. ▪ This would probably be a good time to take a break. ▪ It s probably the best movie I have ever …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • probably — [[t]prɒ̱bəbli[/t]] ♦ 1) ADV GRADED: ADV with cl/group (vagueness) If you say that something is probably the case, you think that it is likely to be the case, although you are not sure. The White House probably won t make this plan public until… …   English dictionary

  • probably — adverb (sentence adverb) used to say that something is likely to happen, likely to be true etc: I probably still have my old army pictures. | Probably the best way to learn Spanish is by actually going to live in Spain. | “Do you think you ll… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • probably — adverb Date: 1613 insofar as seems reasonably true, factual, or to be expected ; without much doubt < is probably happy > < it will probably rain > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

Источник
    • See Also:
      • probabilism
      • probabilistic
      • probability
      • probability curve
      • probability density function
      • probability distribution
      • probability theory
      • probable
      • probable cause
      • probable error
      • probably
      • proband
      • probang
      • probate
      • probate court
      • probation
      • probation officer
      • probationary
      • probationer
      • probative
      • probe
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WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023

prob•a•bly /ˈprɑbəbli/USA pronunciation  adv.

    1. (used to express the opinion that what is said is very likely to come true or be true, but that it is not certain):I’ll probably see her tomorrow.

    See -prob-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

prob•a•bly 
(prob′ə blē),USA pronunciation adv. 

  1. in all likelihood;
    very likely:He will probably attend.
  • probable + —ly 1525–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

probably /ˈprɒbəblɪ/ adv

  1. (sentence modifier; not used with a negative or in a question) in all likelihood or probability: I’ll probably see you tomorrow

sentence substitute

  1. I believe such a thing or situation may be the case

‘probably‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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Источник

  • Top Definitions
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  • More About Probably
  • Examples
  • British

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

[ prob—uh-blee ]

/ ˈprɒb ə bli /

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

adverb

in all likelihood; very likely: He will probably attend.

QUIZ

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Which sentence is correct?

Origin of probably

First recorded in 1525–35; probable + -ly

Words nearby probably

probability theory, probability wave, probable, probable cause, probable error, probably, proband, probang, probate, probate court, probation

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT PROBABLY

What does probably mean?

Probably means most likely or in all likelihood.

Probably is the adverb form of the adjective probable, meaning “very likely to occur or be true.” Probably is used when you think something will happen or turn out to be true, but you’re not certain enough to say it definitely will.

Example: My flight will probably arrive within the next few hours, but I can’t guarantee it.

Where does probably come from?

Probably came into popular use in the 1520s. It is formed from the word probable and the suffix -ly, which is used to make it into an adverb. Probable comes from the Latin probābilis, which means “likely,” “literally,” or “capable of standing a test,” and is equivalent to the verb probā(re) “to test.” This word gives us both probe and prove.

Probably is commonly used to express that you think something is likely to happen (as in He’ll probably be late) or could prove to be true (as in It probably costs more than that, so you should bring some extra money to be safe). In all cases, it implies that you’re not 100 percent sure. It’s stronger than maybe, but it still indicates doubt. It’s very rarely used with a negative or as part of a question. However, it can be used as a sentence substitute, meaning it can take the place of a full sentence to answer a question, as in Have you learned all you need to know about this word? Probably.

Did you know … ?

How is probably used in real life?

Probably is most commonly used in cases where you’re confident that something will happen or turn out to be true, but you can’t say for sure.

if somebody consistently talks badly about you but they (or others) just say «it’s just a joke», they’re probably not your friend

— Jason Zimmerman (@MVG_Mew2King) March 15, 2020

my next song out is probably my favorite song I’ve made in a long time

— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) December 10, 2019

Just saw @LittleWomen, which I’ll probably see a dozen times. It’s completely stunning and doctors should prescribe it. Go go go.

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 29, 2019

Try using probably!

Is probably used correctly in the following sentence?

I’ll probably fall asleep on the couch tonight.

Words related to probably

apparently, doubtless, no doubt, perhaps, possibly, presumably, seemingly, believably, plausibly, as likely as not, assumably, expediently, feasibly, imaginably, in all probability, maybe, perchance, practicably, presumptively, reasonably

How to use probably in a sentence

  • Ancient people probably stopped briefly at Alathar, perhaps while following herds of elephants or other creatures through the region, the researchers say.

  • Such an experience of the harmony between a landscape and its lifeforms is probably not the result of objective analysis.

  • Unlike many creatures, it survived the massive volcanic eruptions in what’s now Siberia that upset the chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans and probably triggered the Permian mass extinction about 252 million years ago.

  • Beetles probably do some actual pollination for the plant, says Santos.

  • Pactiv Evergreen probably makes the plastic containers that Red Lobster uses to wrap up your leftovers.

  • If anything the work the two cops and the maintenance guy were doing deserves more respect and probably helped a lot more people.

  • However, more than 20 players on the ballot this year were probably worthy of being enshrined in Cooperstown.

  • The plan is to stretch it out as long as possible, then probably forget about it, and then suddenly remember it.

  • I—I never felt that way about the presidency, as you—as you probably know.

  • The “pilot flying” was more probably the far less experienced copilot.

  • A moderately enlarged testis (probably regressing) was noted in the specimen from Pisté, on July 21.

  • You may, you probably will, differ very widely upon much that I have here put before you.

  • Results are easily and quickly obtained, and are probably accurate enough for all clinical purposes.

  • Probably the swallows were nesting in the cenote although the nests were inaccessible to view.

  • John was baptizing at a large pool called Ænon-by-Saleim,—probably allegorical, meaning “Fountain of Repose.”

British Dictionary definitions for probably

adverb

(sentence modifier; not used with a negative or in a question) in all likelihood or probabilityI’ll probably see you tomorrow

sentence substitute

I believe such a thing or situation may be the case

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Источник

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