likelihood

or like·li·ness

[ lahyk-lee-hoo d ]
/ ˈlaɪk liˌhʊd /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR likelihood ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being likely or probable; probability.
a probability or chance of something: There is a strong likelihood of his being elected.
Archaic. indication of a favorable end; promise.

Origin of likelihood

First recorded in 1350–1400, likelihood is from the Middle English word liklihood. See likely, -hood

OTHER WORDS FROM likelihood

su·per·like·li·hood, noun

Words nearby likelihood

like something the cat dragged in, like that, like to, like water off a duck's back, like-minded, likelihood, likely, likely as not, liken, likeness, likes of, the

Words related to likelihood

prospect, trend, tendency, possibility, probability, presumption, direction, plausibility, liability, reasonableness, likeliness, fifty-fifty

Example sentences from the Web for likelihood

British Dictionary definitions for likelihood

likelihood

likeliness (ˈlaɪklɪˌnɪs)

/ (ˈlaɪklɪˌhʊd) /

noun

the condition of being likely or probable; probability
something that is probable
statistics the probability of a given sample being randomly drawn regarded as a function of the parameters of the population. The likelihood ratio is the ratio of this to the maximized likelihood See also maximum likelihood