probable

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

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

  • Audio (US):

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• (Indic) IPA^(key): /ˈprɔbəbl̩/, /prɵˈbabl̩/
• 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.

   • 1959 October, Michael Robbins, “The Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 721:

     A major accident and embezzlement of its funds seem to have been the only disasters it escaped; and as to the latter, the most probable reason is that it never had any quantity of funds worth embezzling.

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:

     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

• 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, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “probable”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

From Latin probābilis.

probable (epicene, plural probables)

1. probable

   Antonym: improbable

• probabilidá

• “probable”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1st edition, Academy of the Asturian Language [Asturian: Academia de la Llingua Asturiana], 2000, →ISBN

Borrowed from Latin probābilis.

• IPA^(key): (Central) [pɾuˈβab.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [pɾoˈbab.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [pɾoˈba.ble]

• Audio (Barcelona):

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• Rhymes: -ablə, -able

probable m or f (masculine and feminine plural probables)

1. probable

   Antonym: improbable

• probablement

• probabilitat

• “probable”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

From probabla (“probable”, adjective) +‎ -e (adverbial suffix).

• IPA^(key): /proˈbable/

• Audio:

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

probable

2. probably (in all likelihood)

• sense 1: eble, kredeble, sendube, supozeble, verŝajne

• “probable”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

Learned borrowing from Latin probābilis.

• IPA^(key): /pʁɔ.babl/

• Audio:

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• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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probable (plural probables)

1. likely, probable

• improbable
• probabilité
• probablement

• prouver

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

• provável (reintegrationist)
• probábel

From Latin probābilis.

probable m or f (plural probables)

1. probable

   Antonyms: improbable, improbábel

• probablemente

• probabilidade

• “probable”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026

probable

1. probably

From Latin probābilis.

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

• Audio (Bolivia):

  (file)

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

probable m or f (masculine and feminine plural probables)

1. probable, likely
2. provable

   Synonym: comprobable

• improbable

• “probable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025