1
as in likelihood
the quality or state of being likely to occur
the plot of the movie thriller was exciting and surprising but woefully lacking in probability
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2
as in odds
a measure of how often an event will occur instead of another
the probability of flipping a coin and getting heads 50 times in a row is not good
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Recent Examples of probability
The mean expected probability that the unemployment rate will be higher one year from now climbed by 4.6 percentage points to 44%, the highest level since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020.
—
Kevin Ryan, Quartz, 14 Apr. 2025
The March survey also showed that people are growing increasingly insecure about their own job security: The mean perceived probability of losing one’s job in the next year rose to 15.7%, a 12-month high.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
Last week, the market had been split on the probability of a May cut.
—Chloe Taylor,jenni Reid,sawdah Bhaimiya,sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Uncertainty is where those outcomes cannot be assigned numerical probabilities, but they can still be modeled and analyzed by using stress tests, history, storytelling, scenario analysis, and other tools.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for probability
Kevin Ryan, Quartz, 14 Apr. 2025
The March survey also showed that people are growing increasingly insecure about their own job security: The mean perceived probability of losing one’s job in the next year rose to 15.7%, a 12-month high.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2025
Last week, the market had been split on the probability of a May cut.
—Chloe Taylor,jenni Reid,sawdah Bhaimiya,sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
Uncertainty is where those outcomes cannot be assigned numerical probabilities, but they can still be modeled and analyzed by using stress tests, history, storytelling, scenario analysis, and other tools.
—Felix Salmon, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for probability
Cite this Entry
“Probability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/probability. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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