likelihood

From likely +‎ -hood.

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪklihʊd/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

likelihood (countable and uncountable, plural likelihoods)

1. The probability of a specified outcome; the chance of something happening; probability; the state or degree of being probable.

   In all likelihood the meeting will be cancelled.

   The likelihood is that the inflation rate will continue to rise.

2. (statistics, probability theory) The probability that some fixed outcome was generated by a random distribution with a specific parameter.
3. Likeness, resemblance.
   • 1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], chapter 3, in The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, 1st book:

     There is no likelihood between pure light and black darkness, […] or between righteousness and reprobation.

4. (archaic) Appearance, show, sign, expression.

• likeliness
• odds

• unlikelihood

• in all likelihood
• Whittle likelihood