- Probability is defined as the likelihood of something occurring or the chance of something happening.
- When there is a 50 percent chance of something, this is an example of a time when the event has a probability of 50 percent.
- When there are gray clouds in the sky, this is an example of a time when there is a high probability of rain.
noun pl. probabilities
- the quality or state of being probable; likelihood
- something probable
- Math. the ratio of the number of times something will probably occur to the total number of possible occurrences
Origin: MFr probabilité from Classical Latin probabilitas
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
noun pl. prob·a·bil·i·ties
- The quality or condition of being probable; likelihood.
- A probable situation, condition, or event: Her election is a clear probability.
- a. The likelihood that a given event will occur: little probability of rain tonight.b. Statistics A number expressing the likelihood that a specific event will occur, expressed as the ratio of the number of actual occurrences to the number of possible occurrences.
probability - Business Definition
A quantitative measure of the likelihood of something occurring: Tenants of the mall gave the new restaurant a 20% probability of remaining in business for a year.
probability - Cultural Definition
A number between zero and one that shows how likely a certain event is. Usually, probability is expressed as a ratio: the number of experimental results that would produce the event divided by the number of experimental results considered possible. Thus, the probability of drawing the ten of clubs from an ordinary deck of cards is one in fifty-two (1:52), or one fifty-second.
probability - Phrases/Idioms
see in all probability.
in all probability
very likely
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
in all probability
Most probably; very likely.
probability - Science Definition
A number expressing the likelihood of the occurrence of a given event, especially a fraction expressing how many times the event will happen in a given number of tests or experiments. For example, when rolling a six-sided die, the probability of rolling a particular side is 1 in 6, or 1/6 .
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