unlikely

adjective

un·​like·​ly ˌən-ˈlī-klē How to pronounce unlikely (audio)
1
: not likely : improbable
an unlikely outcome
2
: likely to fail : unpromising

Examples of unlikely in a Sentence

He was an unlikely candidate for the position. A big city seems like an unlikely place to find wildlife. I received support from an unlikely ally.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The duo had previously used a similar approach to show that convection was unlikely within the mantle of Mercury, a world that is too small and has cooled down too much since its formation some 4.5 billion years ago. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025 New natural gas production is unlikely to expand significantly until more liquefaction infrastructure is completed and takeaway capacity improves. Steven Dudash, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025 Latin American leaders are accustomed to their own populists and are thus unlikely to be swayed by the U.S. president’s theatrics. Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2025 And while Tarantino would be unlikely to direct a film for Netflix given his insistence on theatrical exclusivity, the streaming service is Fincher’s longtime home. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unlikely

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unlikely was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Unlikely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unlikely. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

unlikely

adjective
un·​like·​ly ˌən-ˈlī-klē How to pronounce unlikely (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not likely : improbable
an unlikely story
2
: likely to fail : unpromising
an unlikely place for fishing
unlikeliness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on unlikely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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