probable

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: prob=a=ble

CIDE DICTIONARY

probable, a. [L. probabilis, fr. probare to try, approve, prove: cf. F. probable. See Prove, and cf. Provable.].

•  Capable of being proved.  [1913 Webster]
•  Having more evidence for than against; supported by evidence which inclines the mind to believe, but leaves some room for doubt; likely.  [1913 Webster]

  "That is accounted probable which has better arguments producible for it than can be brought against it."  [1913 Webster]

  "I do not say that the principles of religion are merely probable; I have before asserted them to be morally certain."  [1913 Webster]
•  Rendering probable; supporting, or giving ground for, belief, but not demonstrating; as, probable evidence; probable presumption.  Blackstone.  [1913 Webster]

Probable cause (Law), a reasonable ground of presumption that a charge is, or my be, well founded. -- Probable error (of an observation, or of the mean of a number), that within which, taken positively and negatively, there is an even chance that the real error shall lie. Thus, if 3<-- now, usually standard deviation is used --> -- The probable, that which is within the bounds of probability; that which is not unnatural or preternatural; -- opposed to the marvelous.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

probable, adj. & n.
--adj. (often foll. by that + clause) that may be expected to happen or prove true; likely (the probable explanation; it is probable that they forgot).
--n. a probable candidate, member of a team, etc.

Derivative

probably adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L probabilis f. probare prove

THESAURUS

probable

anticipatable, anticipated, apparent, approaching, apt, awaited, believable, calculable, cogitable, colorable, coming, conceivable, conceivably possible, contingent, credible, desired, destinal, destined, determined, divinable, due, earthly, emergent, eventual, evident, expected, extrapolated, fair, fatal, fated, fatidic, feasible, foreknowable, foreseeable, foreseen, foretellable, forthcoming, future, futuristic, hereafter, hoped-for, hopeful, humanly possible, illusory, imaginable, imminent, improbable, in prospect, in the cards, in view, indubitable, later, liable, likely, long-expected, mortal, most likely, nearing, odds-on, on the horizon, ostensible, overdue, planned, plausible, plotted, possible, potential, precognizable, predictable, predictable within limits, predicted, presumable, presumed, presumptive, projected, promised, promising, prophesied, prospective, rational, reasonable, seeming, statistically probable, thinkable, to come, to-be, ultimate, undoubted, unquestionable, verisimilar

ROGET THESAURUS

probable

Hope

N hope, hopes, desire, fervent hope, sanguine expectation, trust, confidence, reliance, faith, affiance, assurance, secureness, security, reassurance, good omen, good auspices, promise, well grounded hopes, good prospect, bright prospect, clear sky, assumption, presumption, anticipation, hopefulness, buoyancy, optimism, enthusiasm, heart of grace, aspiration, optimist, utopian, utopist, castles in the air, castles in Spain, chateaux en Espagne, le pot aut lait, Utopia, millennium, day dream, golden dream, dream of Alnaschar, airy hopes, fool's paradise, mirage, fond hope, beam of hope, ray of hope, gleam of hope, glimmer of hope, flash of hope, dawn of hope, star of hope, cheer, bit of blue sky, silver lining, silver lining of the cloud, bottom of Pandora's box, balm in Gilead, light at the end of the tunnel, anchor, sheet anchor, mainstay, staff, heaven, hoping, in hopes, hopeful, confident, secure, sanguine, in good heart, buoyed up, buoyant, elated, flushed, exultant, enthusiastic, heartsome, utopian, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, fearless, free from fear, free from suspicion, free from distrust, free from despair, exempt from fear, exempt from suspicion, exempt from distrust, exempt from despair, undespairing, self reliant, probable, on the high road to, within sight of shore, within sight of land, promising, propitious, of promise, full of promise, of good omen, auspicious, de bon augure, reassuring, encouraging, cheering, inspiriting, looking up, bright, roseate, couleur de rose, rose-colored, hopefully, Int, God speed!, nil desperandum, never say die, dum spiro spero, latet scintillula forsan, all is for the best, spero meliora, every cloud has a silver lining, the wish being father to the thought, hope told a flattering tale, rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis, at spes non fracta, ego spem prietio non emo, un Dieu est ma fiance, hope! thou nurse of young desire, in hoc signo spes mea, in hoc signo vinces, la speranza e il pan de miseri, l'esperance est le songe d'un homme eveille, the mighty hopes that make us men, the sickening pang of hope deferred.

Probability

N probability, likelihood, credibleness, likeliness, vraisemblance, verisimilitude, plausibility, color, semblance, show of, presumption, presumptive evidence, circumstantial evidence, credibility, reasonable chance, fair chance, good chance, favorable chance, reasonable prospect, fair prospect, good prospect, favorable prospect, prospect, wellgrounded hope, chance, probable, likely, hopeful, to be expected, in a fair way, plausible, specious, ostensible, colorable, ben trovato, well-founded, reasonable, credible, easy of belief, presumable, presumptive, apparent, probably, belike, in all probability, in all likelihood, very likely, most likely, like enough, odds on, odds in favor, ten to one, apparently, seemingly, according to every reasonable expectation, prim=a facie, to all appearance, the chances, the odds are, appearances are in favor of, chances are in favor of, there is reason to believe, there is reason to think, there is reason to expect, I dare say, all Lombard Street to a China orange.