probable

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.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɑbəbl̩/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɒbəbl̩/

• Audio (US):

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• Hyphenation: prob‧a‧ble

probable (comparative more probable, superlative most probable)

1. Likely or most likely to be true.

   It's probable that it will rain tomorrow.

   The probable source of the failure was the mass of feathers in the intake manifold.

2. Likely to happen.

   With all the support we have, success is looking probable.

3. Supporting, or giving ground for, belief, but not demonstrating.
   • 1765–1769, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, (please specify |book=I to IV), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC:

     probable evidence

   • 1890, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 2, page 8:

     From an examination of the Teutonic words for "temple" Grimm has made it probable that amongst the Germans the oldest sanctuaries were natural woods.

4. (obsolete) Capable of being proved.

• improbable

• possible
• probeable

probable (plural probables)

1. Something that is likely.
   • 2013, Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, Christopher Shores, Japanese Naval Fighter Aces 1932-45, page 57:

     Four of the 32 251 Ku aircraft turned back, but the other 28 fought for 20 minutes against a reported 100 enemy aircraft, claiming 18 destroyed and five probables.

2. A person who is likely to appear or do a certain thing.

• “probable”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “probable”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

From Latin probābilis.

probable (epicene, plural probables)

1. probable

• improbable

• probabilidá

Borrowed from Latin probābilis.

• IPA^(key): (Central)
• IPA^(key): (Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencia)
• Rhymes: -ablə, -able

probable m or f (masculine and feminine plural probables)

1. probable

   Antonym: improbable

• probablement

• probabilitat

• “probable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Learned borrowing from Latin probābilis.

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ.babl/

• Audio:

  (file)

probable (plural probables)

1. likely, probable

• improbable
• probabilité
• probablement

• prouver

• “probable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

• provável (reintegrationist)
• probábel

From Latin probābilis.

probable m or f (plural probables)

1. probable

   Antonyms: improbable, improbábel

• probablemente

• probabilidade

• “probable”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

probable

1. probably

From Latin probābilis.

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈbable/

• Audio (Bolivia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -able
• Syllabification: pro‧ba‧ble

probable m or f (masculine and feminine plural probables)

1. probable, likely
2. provable

• improbable

• “probable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10