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Definition: Probably |
ProbablyAdverb1. With considerable certainty; without much doubt; "He is probably out of the country"; "in all likelihood we are headed for war". 2. Easy to believe on the basis of available evidence; "he talked plausibly before the committee"; "he will probably win the election". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "probably" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Probability derives from the Latin probare (to prove, or to test). The word probable means roughly "likely to occur" in the case of possible future occurrences, or "likely to be true" in the case of inferences from evidence. See also probability theory.
What mathematicians call probability is the mathematical theory we use to describe and quantify uncertainty. In a larger context, (see probability interpretations) the word probability is used with other concerns in mind. Uncertainty can be due to our ignorance, deliberate mixing or shuffling, or due to the essential randomness of Nature. In any case, we measure the uncertainty of events on a scale from zero (impossible events) to one (certain events or no uncertainty).
Probability axioms form the basis for mathematical probability theory. Calculation of probabilities can often be determined using combinatorics or by applying the axioms directly. Probability applications include even more than statistics, which is usually based on the idea of probability distributions and the central limit theorem.
The idea is most often broken into two concepts:
- aleatory probability, which represents the likelihood of future events whose occurrence is governed by some random physical phenomenon like tossing dice or spinning a wheel; and
- epistemic probability, which represents our uncertainty about propositions when one lacks complete knowledge of causative circumstances. Such propositions may be about past or future events, but need not be. Some examples of epistemic probability are:
It is an open question whether aleatory probability is reducible to epistemic probability based on our inability to precisely predict every force that might affect the roll of a die, or whether such uncertainties exist in the nature of reality itself, particularly in quantum phenomena governed by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Although the same mathematical rules apply regardless of what interpretation you favor, the choice has major implications for the way in which probability is used to model the real world.
- Assign a probability to the proposition that a proposed law of physics is true.
- Determine how "probable" it is that a suspect committed a crime, based on the evidence presented.
Probability in mathematics
While the existence of gambling games of chance shows that there has been a lively interest in quantifying the ideas of probability for millennia, exact mathematical descriptions of use in these types of problems only arose much later.
To give a mathematical meaning to probability, consider flipping a "fair" coin. Intuitively, the probability that heads will come up on any given coin toss is "obviously" 50%; but this statement alone lacks mathematical rigor - certainly, while we might expect that flipping such a coin 10 times will yield 5 heads and 5 tails, there is no guarantee that this will occur; it is possible for example to flip 10 heads in a row. What then does the number "50%" mean in this context?
One approach is to use the law of large numbers. In this case, we assume that we can perform any number of coin flips, with each coin flip being independent - that is to say, the outcome of each coin flip is unaffected by previous coin flips. If we perform N trials (coin flips), and let NH be the number of times the coin lands heads, then we can, for any N, consider the ratio NH/N.
As N gets larger and larger, we expect that in our example the ratio NH/N will get closer and closer to 1/2. This allows us to define the probability Pr(H) of flipping heads as the mathematical limit, as N approaches infinity, of this sequence of ratios:
In actual practice, of course, we cannot flip a coin an infinite number of times; so in general, this formula most accurately applies to situations in which we have already assigned an a priori probability to a particular outcome (in this case, our assumption that the coin was a "fair" coin). The law of large numbers then says that, given Pr(H), and any arbitrarily small number ε, there exists some number n such that for all N > n,
In other words, by saying that "the probability of heads is 1/2", we mean that, if we flip our coin often enough, eventually the number of heads over the number of total flips will become arbitraily close to 1/2; and will then stay at least as close to 1/2 for as long as we keep performing additional coin flips.
The a priori aspect of this approach to probability is sometimes troubling when applied to real world situations. For example, in the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard, a character flips a coin which keeps coming up heads over and over again, a hundred times. He can't decide whether this is just a random event - after all, it is possible (although unlikely) that a fair coin would give this result - or whether his assumption that the coin is fair is at fault.
One contribution of Bayesian probability was to provide a philosophical stance which allows us to derive probabilities (according to the above definition) from a set of observations.
Formalization
In general, probabilities of interest regard not just discrete outcomes like "heads/tails", but also more continuous outcomes as well.
In probability theory, an event is a "measurable" subset of a "sample space". "Events" are the things to which probabilities are assigned. A probability is a number in the closed interval from 0 to 1. Probabilities must be assigned to events in such a way that for pairwise disjoint (i.e., no two intersect each other) events A1, A2, A3, ..., the probability of their union is the sum of their probabilities, or, in mathematical notation,
In the special case of a "discrete probability distribution" the sample space is a set of outcomes to each of which a positive number has been assigned as its probability. The one-members sets are "elementary events". One of the simplest of discrete sample spaces is a finite set to each of whose members the same probability 1/n is assigned. An example of a sample space that is not discrete is the closed interval [0, 1] to which the length of any subinterval (a, b) is assigned as the probability of that subinterval. The probability assigned to any one-member subset is 0.
Representation and interpretation of probability values
The value 0 is generally understood to represent impossible events, while the number 1 is understood to represent certain events (though there are more advanced interpretations of probability that use more precise definitions). Values between 0 and 1 quantify the probability of the occurrence of some event. In common language, these numbers are often expressed as fractions or percentages, and must be converted to real number form to perform calculations with them.
For example, if two events are equally likely, such as a flipped coin landing heads-up or tails-up, we express the probability of each event as "1 in 2" or "50%" or "1/2", where the numerator of the fraction is the relative likelihood of the target event and the denominator is the total of relative likelihoods for all events. To use the probability in math we must perform the division and express it as "0.5".
Another way probabilities are expressed is "odds", where the two numbers used represent the relative likelihood of the target event and the likelihood of all events other than the target event. Expressed as odds, tossing a coin will give heads odds of "1 to 1"or "1:1". To convert odds to probability, use the sum of the numbers given as the denominator of a fraction: "1:1" odds make a "1/2" probability; "3:2" odds make a "3/5" probability (or 0.6).
Distributions
The histogram of events versus occurrence is called a probability distribution. There are several important, discrete distributions, such as the discrete uniform distribution, the Poisson distribution, the binomial distribution, the negative binomial distribution and the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.
Remarks on probability calculations
The difficulty of probability calculations lie in determining the number of possible events, counting the occurrences of each event, counting the total number of possible events. Especially difficult is drawing meaningful conclusions from the probabilities calculated. An amusing probability riddle, the Monty Hall problem demonstrates the pitfalls nicely.
To learn more about the basics of probability theory, see the article on probability axioms and the article on Bayes' theorem that explains the use of conditional probabilities in case where the occurrence of two events is related.
Applications of probability theory to everday life
A major impact of probability theory on everyday life is in risk assessment and in trade on commodity markets. Governments typically apply probability methods in environment regulation where it is called "pathway analysis", and are often measuring well-being using methods that are stochastic in nature, and choosing projects to undertake based on their perceived probable impact on the population as a whole, statistically. It is not correct to say that statistics are involved in the modelling itself, as typically the assessments of risk are one-time and thus require more fundamental probability models, e.g. "the probability of another 9/11". A law of small numbers tends to apply to all such choices and perception of the impact of such choices, which makes probability measures a political matter.
A good example is the impact of the perceived probability of any widespread Middle East conflict on oil prices - which have ripple effects in the economy as a whole. An assessment by a commodity trade that a war is more likely vs. less likely sends prices up or down, and signals other traders of that opinion. Accordingly, the probabilities are not assessed independently nor necessarily very rationally. The theory of behavioral finance emerged to describe the impact of such groupthink on pricing, on policy, and on peace and conflict.
It can reasonably be said that the discovery of rigorous methods to assess and combine probability assessments has had a profound impact on modern society. A good example is the application of game theory, itself based strictly on probability, to the Cold War and the mutual assured destruction doctrine. Accordingly, it may be of some importance to most citizens to understand how odds and probability assessments are made, and how they contribute to reputations and to decisions, especially in a democracy.
See also
- Bayesian probability
- Bernoulli process
- Game theory
- Cox's theorem
- Information theory
- Law of averages
- Law of large numbers
- Normal distribution
- Random variable
- Statistics
- List of statistical topics
- Statistical probability
- Stochastic process
- Wiener process
External links
- Edwin Thompson Jaynes. Probability Theory: The Logic of Science. Preprint: Washington University, (1996). -- http://omega.albany.edu:8008/JaynesBook.html and http://bayes.wustl.edu/etj/prob/book.pdf
Quotations
- Damon Runyon, "It may be that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong - but that is the way to bet."
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Probability."
Synonyms: ProbablySynonyms: believably (adv), belike (adv), credibly (adv), in all likelihood (adv), in all probability (adv), likely (adv), plausibly (adv). (additional references) |
| Antonym: incredibly (adv). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Belief | Worthy of, deserving of, commanding belief; credible, reliable, trustworthy, to be depended on; satisfactory; probably; fiducial, fiduciary; persuasive, impressive. |
Probability | Adverb: probably; Adjective: belike; in all probability, in all likelihood; very likely, most likely; like enough; odds on, odds in favor, ten; to one; apparently, seemingly, according to every reasonable expectation; prim_ facie; to all appearance; (to the eye). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Probably |
| Non-English Usage: "Probably" is also a word in the following language with the English translation in parentheses. German (manducate). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Loser, lose all. You probably don't understand that (Sleuth; writing credit: Anthony Shaffer) I've probably burned truck loads of your stuff before (Memento; writing credit: Bo Goldman; Lawrence Hauben) The biggest thing in this town is probably the homecoming queen (The Iron Giant; writing credit: Brad Bird and Tim McCanlies, based on the novel and play 'The Iron Man' by Ted Hughes.) you're probably standing there monitoring (Say Anything; writing credit: Cameron Crowe.) Nah, I betcha don't, you're probably too sensible for that (While You Were Sleeping; writing credit: Daniel G. Sullivan and Fredric LeBow.) | |
Lyrics | It's true, been convicted, I'm probably needin' a girl (I Do (Wanna Get Close To You); performing artist: 3LW) We goin' hook it up probably talk on the phone (Are You That Somebody; performing artist: Aaliyah) I'm so fly, that's probably why it (Falling For The First Time; performing artist: Barenaked Ladies) A target that I'm probably gonna miss (First Date; performing artist: Blink-182) You probably think this song is about you ("You're So Vain"; performing artist: Carly Simon) | |
Clever | It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress. (references; author: Mark Twain) He who hesitates is probably right. (references; author: unknown) When you smell an odorless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide. (references; author: unknown) If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip. (references; author: unknown) A person who smiles in the face of adversity probably has a scapegoat. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Pictured is a handler, kneeling, wearing a white lab shirt. He is holding a beagle. The dog will probably be used in some experiment. It is an outdoor setting. Credit: Linda Bartlett (photographer). |  | Shown is a close-up of a gloved hand holding a test tube with some red fluid, probably media. The background is dark and the shot is dramatic. Credit: Unknown photographer/artist. |
 | These cloud formations were seen over the western Aleutian Islands. Their color variations are probably due to differences in temperature and in the size of water droplets that make up the clouds. Credit: NASA. |  | Sounding device made by William P. Trowbridge for Coast Survey Line would pay out of a descending cylinder and stationery cylinder on deck Similar to modern bathythermograph copper wire instrument Civil War intervened stopping research Probably would have worked. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
 | Plane table work with airport survey Probably early 1960's Probably some of the last plane table work done in the C&GS. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Mass mortality of young diamondback terrapins. Probably drowned in fish traps. Credit: America's Coastlines. |
 | A female diamondback terrapin, probably looking for a good place to deposit her eggs. Credit: America's Coastlines. |  | Glacier Bay area - probably McBride Glacier. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |
 | A large bull fur-seal probably too old to fight for a harem. Main part of rookery down to the left. Credit: Paths Less Taken - NOAA at the Ends of the Earth. |  | Chesapeake Bay Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve. A denizen of the marsh - a fiddler crab. This is probably a red-jointed fiddler crab -Uca minax. Credit: National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR). |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Feeling blue?" by Noie Shives Commentary: "Just some blue sugary beverage, probably fearing for its life as I went to drink it. :)." | "Echo bay backroads" by Jeff L Commentary: "This was shot probably around 1991-2 off a dirt road in behind echo bay, ontario somewhere. Lots of pretty colours contrasting with the evergreens." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Demonax | Probably all laws are useless; for good men do not want laws at all, and bad men are made no better by them. |
Jacob Burckhardt | The people no longer believe in principles, but will probably periodically believe in saviours. |
James Thomson | I think a bishop who doesn't give offence to anyone is probably not a good bishop. |
Louis Auchincloss | Keep doing good deeds long enough, and you'll probably turn out a good man in spite of yourself. |
Morris L. Ernst | Man's fear of ideas is probably the greatest dike holding back human knowledge and happiness. |
Oscar Wilde | Despotism is unjust to everybody, including the despot, who was probably made for better things. |
Ralph Waldo Emerson | The torments of martyrdom are probably most keenly felt by the bystanders. |
Robert Louis Stevenson | Each has his own tree of ancestors, but at the top of all sits Probably Arboreal. |
William James | If the grace of God miraculously operates, it probably operates through the subliminal door. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
John Locke | 1690 | It may perhaps be censured as an impertinent criticism, in a discourse of this nature, to find fault with words and names, that have obtained in the world: and yet possibly it may not be amiss to offer new ones, when the old are apt to lead men into mistakes, as this of paternal power probably has done, which seems so to place the power of parents over their children wholly in the father, as if the mother had no share in it; whereas, if we consult reason or revelation, we shall find, she hath an equal title. (Second Treatise of Government) |
Winston S. Churchill | 1946 | Would a special relationship between the United States and the British Commonwealth be inconsistent with our over-riding loyalties to the World Organization? I reply that, on the contrary, it is probably the only means by which that organization will achieve its full stature and strength. ("Iron Curtain" Speech) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | They seem very comfortable as they are, and if she were to take any pains to marry him, she would probably repent it. |
Young Zaphod Plays It Safe | Douglas Adams | Any sophisticated knowledgable person, who had knocked about, seen a few things, would probably have remarked on how much the craft looked like a filing cabinet--a large and recently burgled filing cabinet lying on its back with its drawers in the air and flying |
Scarlet Letter | Hawthorne, Nathaniel | It would probably be on the fourth day from the present |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | The guide made a negative sign of the head, probably treacherous |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | Joyce, James | It is probably in his character to ask such a question at such a moment in such a tone and to pronounce the word science as a monosyllable |
Neverwhere | Neil Gaiman | "If they all felt like this in the morning it was probably a relief." |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | They have told me nothing, and probably cannot tell me anything to the purpose |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Probably most common chronic infection of humans. (references) | |
There probably are other undiscovered contributing causes. (references) | ||
You'll probably need a few months to adjust to hemodialysis. (references) | ||
Business | The playing field in Thailand could probably be best described as “opaque. (references) | |
The retail pharmacy sector has probably benefited the most from healthcare reform. (references) | ||
Aggressive marketing will probably lead to further increase in Mitsubishi's share. (references) | ||
Children | Ghana | The dropout rate is decreasing, from 9.1 percent nationwide in 1998 to 8 percent in 1999; however, the school enrollment rate also has dropped slightly from 2.58 million in 1997 to 2.56 million in 1999. Overall enrollment probably is even lower, taking into account the country's almost 2.4 percent annual population growth. (references) |
Civil Liberties | Russia | While in the hospital, Glotov claimed that he probably was arrested because of an article in his Viktoriya-Sakha newspaper critical of Deputy Procurator and presidential candidate Vasiliy Kolmogorov. (references) |
Cuba | Members of the armed forces do not attend religious services in their uniform, probably to avoid possible reprimand by superiors. (references) | |
Economic History | Egypt | Based on these requirements plus Egyptian inquiries for information, the Egyptian Government is probably considering the purchase of the following new systems: modern anti-tank weapons systems; Avenger; air defense radars; frequency hopping radios; diesel submarines; medium (300 ton) missile attack craft; and night vision equipment of all types. (references) |
France | Instead it will probably be a candidate in the second round of UMTS licensing scheduled for 2002. The new generation of services available through UTMS will revolutionize the capabilities of mobile handsets, creating a growing market for telecommunication service providers. (references) | |
Hong Kong | Although the new 3G networks will probably not become operational before 2005, OFTA's plans to issue licenses within the next year will present opportunities for U.S. companies in one of the first commercial 3G markets in the world. (references) | |
Human Rights | Burkina Faso | The Commission also noted that official documents from the Presidential Guard and the army that might have shed light on the whereabouts of the six Presidential Guard members on the day of the murders could not be found and probably were destroyed intentionally. (references) |
Dominican Republic | The authorities sometimes treated minors as adults--most often when physical forensic examinations indicated that the persons claiming to be minors were probably adults--and incarcerated them in prison rather than juvenile detention centers. (references) | |
Sri Lanka | The exact size of these militias is impossible to ascertain, but they probably total fewer than 2,000 persons. (references) | |
Minorities | Rwanda | The 1994 mass killings and migrations probably affected the ethnic composition of the population, but the extent and nature of the changes were unknown. (references) |
Political Economy | AUSTRALIA | Cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to official interest rates (150 basis points over 2000), while bolstering economic growth, will probably prevent the inflation rate returning to its long-term trend level (around two-three percent p.a.) until well into 2002. (references) |
BELGIUM | In 2000, the government did not raise any further money through privatization, although it is now actively pursuing public private partnerships (PPPs). Further privatization of the last two enterprises with a strong public sector stake, Sabena (if it emerges from its current bankruptcy) and Belgacom, will probably occur before the end of this coalition's term, i.e. 2003. (references) | |
Political Rights | Gambia | Observers agreed there probably were some irregularities in the registration process, but on a much smaller scale than the UDP/PPP/GPP coalition alleged. (references) |
Trade | Haiti | A reduction in port user fees will probably not occur until the physical infrastructure is upgraded and internal management is improved. (references) |
Colombia | Their importance as funding resources has been diminishing rapidly, however, and their impact currently is probably less than two percent of total banking resources. (references) | |
Travel | Cote D'ivoire | There are a large number of "polycliniques" in Abidjan, the largest and probably best being the Polyclinique Internationale de Sainte Anne Marie (PISAM). (references) |
Cote D'ivoire | The general rule is that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and even a simple reply might cause future problems. (references) | |
Oman | Coffee, tea, or soft drinks will probably be offered (except during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan) and should be accepted. (references) | |
Women | Poland | Women's organizations assert that the number of women suffering from domestic abuse is probably much higher due to the fact that battered women usually refuse to admit abuse even to themselves. (references) |
Worker Rights | Venezuela | The actual figure is probably much higher, considering that those who stated that they attended school also reported that they worked on average 71/2 hours per day, 4 to 7 days per week. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | WORMS'-:MEAT:, n. The finished product of which we are the raw material. The contents of the Taj Mahal, the Tombeau Napoleon and the Granitarium. Worms'-meat is usually outlasted by the structure that houses it, but "this too must pass away." Probably the silliest work in which a human being can engage is construction of a tomb for himself. The solemn purpose cannot dignify, but only accentuates by contrast the foreknown futility. Ambitious fool! so mad to be a show! How profitless the labor you bestow Upon a dwelling whose magnificence The tenant neither can admire nor know. Build deep, build high, build massive as you can, The wanton grass-roots will defeat the plan By shouldering asunder all the stones In what to you would be a moment's span. Time to the dead so all unreckoned flies That when your marble is all dust, arise, If wakened, stretch your limbs and yawn -- You'll think you scarcely can have closed your eyes. What though of all man's works your tomb alone Should stand till Time himself be overthrown? Would it advantage you to dwell therein Forever as a stain upon a stone? Joel Huck |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Ann Richards | I don't know whether he'll leave the Senate or not but he's probably not going to want to be in the Senate if he's not in the leadership. |
Bill Maher | Oh, God. We could probably solve a lot of problems if we had that kind of money just from Woody Harrelson's house. |
Halle Berry | Life. Probably when I was ten, and my father, who had left us, came back to live with us for a year. That was probably one of the worst years of my life. |
Prince Albert of Monaco | Yeah. As I said, it's a running start, but the time cell is probably maybe eight feet away from the actual block where you start off from. |
Queen Rania of Jordan | I'm not quite aware of the details. But I think that our foreign minister most probably will be seeing Chairman Arafat in the next period, at least. |
Richard Armey | In this Congress probably this summer, I would hope by July. It's been very difficult to deal with the language of the Supreme Court decision. |
Tim McGraw | Probably not as much as she's been a housewife when I've been out working. It's never more than a couple days if we have to do it. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Thomas Jefferson | 1801-1809 | Whether it will be necessary to augment our land forces will be decided by occurrences probably in the course of your session. |
James Madison | 1809-1817 | For the probably receipts of the next year and other details I refer to statements which will be transmitted from the Treasury, and which will enable you to judge what further provisions may be necessary for the ensuing years. |
James Monroe | 1817-1825 | A considerable increase of domestic manufactures, by diminishing the importation of foreign, will probably tend to lessen the amount of the public revenue. |
Andrew Jackson | 1829-1837 | Our patience has been and will probably be still further severely tried, but our fellow citizens whose interests are involved may confide in the determination of the Government to obtain for them eventually ample retribution. |
Martin van Buren | 1837-1841 | To enter on this occasion into a further or more minute exposition of my views on the various questions of domestic policy would be as obtrusive as it is probably unexpected. |
Harry S. Truman | 1945-1953 | Such temporary unemployment is probably unavoidable in a period of rapid change. |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | Most of my fellow Americans probably didn't know that, and there's a good reason. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Probably" is generally used as an adverb (general) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Probably" is used about 27,274 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adverb (general) | 100% | 27,274 | 308 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "probably". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| Nimrod | N/A | Biblical | Rebellion (but probably an unknown Assyrian word) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
Expressions using "probably": most probably ♦ probably destroyed. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "probably": probably-also, probably-fictitious, probably-nice. | |
Ending with "probably": also-probably, later-probably, narrows-probably, stop-probably, years-probably. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
because but g it missed probably there unlike ve | 41 |
probably | 17 |
he her him nice probably would | 8 |
because but g it missed probably there unlike youve | 7 |
its probably | 4 |
end most next probably tuesday | 2 |
being followed probably watched | 2 |
newspaper probably receive | 2 |
happen it never probably thought would | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "probably"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | waarskynlik, seker (certainly). (various references) | |
Albanian | me sa duket (apparently, obviously, presumably, presumedly, seemingly, supposedly), mbas gjase (likely). (various references) | |
Arabic | من المحتمل, لكن (but, however, nevertheless, only, yours), على الأرجح (in all probability, like enough, likely), ربما (at times, likely, may, maybe, might, perhaps, possibly, supposedly). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | вероятно (belike, like, likely, presumably, presumedly), навярно. (various references) | |
Chinese | 大概 (about, approximate, rough, roughly). (various references) | |
Czech | pravdìpodobnì (arguably, in all probability, likely, presumably, very likely), bezpochyby (doubtless, no doubt, surely, undoubtedly), asi (about, perhaps, some). (various references) | |
Danish | sandsynligvis. (various references) | |
Dutch | waarschijnlijk (likely, plausible, probable). (various references) | |
Esperanto | probable, verŝajne, kredeble. (various references) | |
Faeroese | helst (the), ætlandi. (various references) | |
Finnish | luultavasti (in all probability, presumably), kai (maybe, perhaps). (various references) | |
French | probablement (presumably). (various references) | |
German | wahrscheinlich (likely, plausible, presumably, prob, probability, probable), voraussichtlich (estimated, expected, likely, prospective), wohl (accordingly, arguably, certainly, consequently, indeed, maybe, mayhap, no doubt, perchance, perhaps, possibly, rather, so, surely, then, therefore, to be sure, weal, welfare, well, well being, well-being), vermutlich (presumable, presumably, presumedly, probable, probagly, putative, supposable, suspected). (various references) | |
Greek | πιθανά (likely). (various references) | |
Hebrew | מן הסתם (apparently, obviously), כמובן (apparently, certainly, naturally, obviously, of course), כנראה (apparently, presumably, seemingly), סביר ש- (presumably). (various references) | |
Hungarian | talán (belike, haply, maybe, mayhap, mayhaps, perchance, perhaps, possibly, so so), valószínûleg (like enough, likely), várhatóan (expectedly). (various references) | |
Indonesian | barangkali (might, possibly, who knows), agaknya (it seems, presumably). (various references) | |
Irish | is dócha. (various references) | |
Italian | probabilmente (likely, maybe, perhaps). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 蓋し (perhaps), 多分 (perhaps), て拳道 (copula, detective, Don't you agree?, event, guess, has become possible, hope, huge, huge breasts, I fear, I hope, I think, I thought you'd say that!, in a big way, is now possible, it seems, may, polite copula in Japanese, surely, Tae Kwon Do, therefore, think, to be, will). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | たぶん (informing, perhaps), であろう (I fear, I hope, I think, it seems, may, surely, will), けだし (perhaps). (various references) | |
Korean | 사실 같게. (various references) | |
Manx | s'cosoylagh (likely), foddee (can, may, maybe, peradventure, perchance, perhaps, possibly). (various references) | |
Norwegian | sannsynligvis (likely), muligens. (various references) | |
Papiamen | probablemente. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | obablypray.(various references) | |
Polish | prawdopodobnie. (various references) | |
Portuguese | provavelmente (belike, like, likely, presumably). (various references) | |
Portuguese Brazilian | provavelmente. (various references) | |
Romanian | probabil (as like as not, feasible, haply, it must be, like, likely, presumably, presumptive, probable, supposable), dupã toate probabilitãţile (in all appearances, in all likelihood, to all appearances). (various references) | |
Russian | вероятно (apparently, belike, likely, there seems to be, there seems to be no). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | verovatno (belike, easily, likely, presumably). (various references) | |
Spanish | probablemente (as like as not, likely, possibly, presumably). (various references) | |
Swedish | troligtvis (as likely as not, belike, like enough, very likely), möjligen (peradventure, perhaps, possibly). (various references) | |
Turkish | olasılıkla, muhtemelen (easily, likely, perhaps, presumably, presumedly), galiba (likely, methinks, presumably, presumedly), belki de. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | можливо (conceivably, maybe, peradventure, perchance, perhaps, possibly, presumably), мабуть (apparently, likely, maybe, ought, possibly, presumably, yes). (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | forsit forsan forsitan. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words ending with "probably": improbably. (additional references) | |
| |
"Probably" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: prabablly, prabably, probabal, probabaly, probabely, probabil, probabilism, probabily, probabley, probablly, probally, probaly, probbly, probebly, probibly, probily, problaby, probobly, probubly, propably, proubably. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "probably" (pronounced prÄ"bublē or prÄ"blē) |
| 8 | p r Ä" b u b l ē | improbably. |
| 4 | -u b l ē | admirably, amiably, amicably, appreciably, arguably, audibly, charitably, comfortably, comparably, conceivably, considerably, credibly, creditably, demonstrably, irresponsibly, irretrievably, irreversibly, irrevocably, justifiably, knowledgeably, equitably, fashionably, favorably, feasibly, flexibly, forcibly, formidably, honorably, horribly, impeccably, imperceptibly, implausibly, impossibly, incomparably, incredibly, indelibly, indisputably, inevitably, inexorably, inexplicably, inextricably, inseparably, interchangeably, interminably, intolerably, invariably, irreparably, irresistibly, measurably, memorably, miserably, notably, noticeably, ostensibly, palpably, passably, peaceably, plausibly, possibly, predictably, preferably, presumably, profitably, reasonably, recognizably, regrettably, reliably, remarkably, respectably, responsibly, sensibly, suitably, terribly, unacceptably, unaccountably, unalterably, unavoidably, unbearably, unbelievably, uncomfortably, uncontrollably, undeniably, understandably, unequivocably, unfavorably, unjustifiably, unmistakably, unpredictably, unquestionably, unreasonably, unseasonably, visibly. |
| 3 | -b l ē | ably, assembly, bubbly, doubly, feebly, glibly, humbly, immeasurably, nimbly, nobly, reassembly, subassembly, superbly, trembly. |
| 4 | -Ä" b l ē | nobly. |
| 3 | -b l ē | ably, admirably, amiably, amicably, appreciably, arguably, assembly, audibly, bubbly, charitably, comfortably, comparably, conceivably, considerably, credibly, creditably, demonstrably, irresponsibly, irretrievably, irreversibly, irrevocably, justifiably, knowledgeably, doubly, equitably, fashionably, favorably, feasibly, feebly, flexibly, forcibly, formidably, glibly, honorably, horribly, humbly, immeasurably, impeccably, imperceptibly, implausibly, impossibly, improbably, incomparably, incredibly, indelibly, indisputably, inevitably, inexorably, inexplicably, inextricably, inseparably, interchangeably, interminably, intolerably, invariably, irreparably, irresistibly, measurably, memorably, miserably, nimbly, notably, noticeably, ostensibly, palpably, passably, peaceably, plausibly, possibly, predictably, preferably, presumably, profitably, reasonably, reassembly, recognizably, regrettably, reliably, remarkably, respectably, responsibly, sensibly, subassembly, suitably, superbly, terribly, trembly, unacceptably, unaccountably, unalterably, unavoidably, unbearably, unbelievably, uncomfortably, uncontrollably, undeniably, understandably, unequivocably, unfavorably, unjustifiably, unmistakably, unpredictably, unquestionably, unreasonably, unseasonably, visibly. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-b-b-l-o-p-r-y" | |
-2 letters: pyrola. | |
-3 letters: bolar, boral, boyar, boyla, labor, lobar, lobby, parol, payor, polar, royal. | |
-4 letters: ably, aryl, baby, barb, blab, blob, boar, bola, bora, bray, byrl, lory, opal, oral, orby, paly, play, ploy, poly, prao, pray, proa, ropy. | |
-5 letters: abo, aby, alb, alp, arb, bal, bap, bar, bay, boa, bob, bop, boy, bra, bro, lab. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-b-b-l-o-p-r-y" | |
+2 letters: improbably. | |
+3 letters: probability. | |
+4 letters: bibliography. | |
+5 letters: bibliotherapy, improbability, psychobabbler. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Historic 11. Quotations: Fiction 12. Quotations: Non-fiction | 13. Quotations: Spoken 14. Quotations: Speeches 15. Usage Frequency 16. Names: Derived from | 17. Expressions 18. Expressions: Internet 19. Translations: Modern 20. Translations: Ancient | 21. Derivations 22. Rhymes 23. Anagrams 24. Bibliography |
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