probable

From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin probābilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from probāre (“to test, examine”); see probe, prove. Compare recent doublet provable.

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• 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 65350522:

     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

• probability
• probable cause
• probably

• 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, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• probable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

From Latin probābilis.

probable (epicene, plural probables)

1. probable

• improbable

• probabilidá

From Latin probābilis.

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /pɾoˈba.blə/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /pɾuˈba.blə/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /pɾoˈba.ble/
• Rhymes: -ablə, -able

probable (masculine and feminine plural probables)

1. probable

• improbable

• probablement

• probabilitat

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

From Latin probābilis.

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ.babl/

• Audio

  (file)

probable (plural probables)

1. probable (all meanings)

• improbable
• probabilité
• probablement

• “probable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• probábel

From Latin probābilis.

probable m or f (plural probables)

1. probable

• improbable, improbábel

• probablemente

• probabilidade

probable

1. probably

From Latin probābilis.

• IPA^(key): /pɾoˈbable/ [pɾoˈβ̞a.β̞le]

• Audio (Bolivia)

  (file)

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

probable (plural probables)

1. probable, likely
2. provable

• improbable

• probablemente

• probabilidad

• “probable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014