Adjacent Words

Likely definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LI'KELY, a. [that is, like-like.]
1. Probable; that may be rationally though or believed to have taken place in time past, or to be true now or hereafter; such as is more reasonable than the contrary. A likely story, is one which evidence, or the circumstances of the case render probable, and therefore credible.
2. Such as may be liked; pleasing; as a likely man or woman.
[This use of likely is not obsolete, as Johnson affirms, nor is it vulgar. But the English and their descendants in America differ in the application. The English apply the word to external appearance, and with them, likely is equivalent to handsome, well formed; as a likely man, a likely horse. In America, the word is usually applied to the endowments of the mind, or to pleasing accomplishments. With us, a likely man, is a man of good character and talents, or of good dispositions or accomplishments, that render him pleasing or respectable.]
LI'KELY, adv. Probably.
While man was innocent, he was likely ignorant of nothing important for him to know.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: has a good chance of being the case or of coming about; "these services are likely to be available to us all before long"; "she is likely to forget"; "a likely place for a restaurant"; "the broken limb is likely to fall"; "rain is likely"; "a likely topic for investigation"; "likely candidates for the job" [ant: unlikely]
2: likely but not certain to be or become true or real; "a likely result"; "he foresaw a probable loss" [syn: probable, likely] [ant: improbable, unlikely]
3: expected to become or be; in prospect; "potential clients" [syn: likely, potential]
4: within the realm of credibility; "not a very likely excuse" adv
1: with considerable certainty; without much doubt; "He is probably out of the country"; "in all likelihood we are headed for war" [syn: probably, likely, in all likelihood, in all probability, belike]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective (likelier; -est) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English gel?clic fitting (from gel?c like) and Old Norse gl?kligr, l?kligr, from gl?kr like; akin to Old English gel?c Date: 14th century 1. having a high probability of occurring or being true ; very probable <rain is likely today> 2. apparently qualified ; suitable <a likely place> 3. reliable, credible <a likely enough story> 4. promising <a likely candidate> 5. attractive <a likely child> II. adverb Date: 14th century in all probability ; probably <those who seek power will most likely wind up exercising it — Halton Arp>

NOAA Weather Glossary

In probability of precipitation statements, the equivalent of a 60 or 70percent chance.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & adv. --adj. 1 probable; such as well might happen or be true (it is not likely that they will come; the most likely place is London; a likely story). 2 (foll. by to + infin.) to be reasonably expected (he is not likely to come now). 3 promising; apparently suitable (this is a likely spot; three likely lads). --adv. probably (is very likely true). Phrases and idioms: as likely as not probably. not likely! colloq. certainly not, I refuse. Derivatives: likeliness n. Etymology: ME f. ON líkligr (as LIKE(1), -LY(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Likely Like"ly, a. [Compar. Likelier (l[imac]k"l[i^]*[~e]r); superl. Likeliest.] [That is, like-like. See Like, a.] 1. Worthy of belief; probable; credible; as, a likely story. It seems likely that he was in hope of being busy and conspicuous. --Johnson. 2. Having probability; having or giving reason to expect; -- followed by the infinitive; as, it is likely to rain. 3. Similar; like; alike. [Obs.] --Spenser. 4. Such as suits; good-looking; pleasing; agreeable; handsome. --Shak. Milton. 5. Having such qualities as make success probable; well adapted to the place; promising; as, a likely young man; a likely servant.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Likely Like"ly, adv. In all probability; probably. While man was innocent he was likely ignorant of nothing that imported him to know. --Glanvill.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(likelier, likeliest) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use likely to indicate that something is probably the case or will probably happen in a particular situation. Experts say a 'yes' vote is still the likely outcome... If this is your first baby, it's far more likely that you'll get to the hospital too early... Francis thought it likely John still loved her. = probable ? unlikely ADJ: oft it v-link ADJ that • Likely is also an adverb. Profit will most likely have risen by about £25 million... Very likely he'd told them he had American business interests. = probably ADV: ADV with cl/group 2. If someone or something is likely to do a particular thing, they will very probably do it. In the meantime the war of nerves seems likely to continue... Once people have seen that something actually works, they are much more likely to accept change. ? unlikely ADJ: v-link ADJ to-inf 3. A likely person, place, or thing is one that will probably be suitable for a particular purpose. At one point he had seemed a likely candidate to become Prime Minister... We aimed the microscope at a likely looking target. ADJ: ADJ n 4. You can say not likely as an emphatic way of saying 'no', especially when someone asks you whether you are going to do something. (INFORMAL) 'How about having a phone out here?'—'Not likely!' = no way CONVENTION [emphasis]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Probable, credible. 2. In a fair way, to be expected. 3. Pleasing, agreeable, likable, that may be liked. 4. Suitable, well-adapted, well-suited, convenient.

Moby Thesaurus

Junoesque, a propos, able, acceptable, ad rem, adapted, advantageous, advisable, agreeable, amply endowed, applicable, apposite, appropriate, apropos, apt, apt to, assumably, becoming, befitting, bent, bonny, braw, built, built for comfort, buxom, by all odds, callipygian, callipygous, cogitable, comely, conceivable, conceivably possible, congruous, contingent, convenient, couleur de rose, credible, curvaceous, curvy, decent, desirable, disposed, disposed to, dispositioned, dollars to doughnuts, doubtless, doubtlessly, dovetailing, earthly, encouraging, expected, expedient, fair, favorable, favored, favorite, feasible, felicitous, fit, fitted, fitten, fitting, foreseeable, fructuous, geared, given, goddess-like, good, good-looking, goodly, happy, hopeful, humanly possible, imaginable, in all likelihood, in all probability, in the cards, in the mood, inclined, inclined to, indubitably, just right, liable, liable to, like enough, lovely to behold, meet, meshing, minded, mortal, most likely, no doubt, odds-on, on the button, opportune, pat, personable, plausible, pleasing, pneumatic, politic, possible, potential, predictable, predictable within limits, predisposed, presentable, presumable, presumably, presumptive, presumptively, probable, probably, profitable, promising, prone, proper, qualified, reasonable, recommendable, relevant, right, rose-colored, roseate, rosy, seasonable, seemly, shapely, sightly, slender, sortable, stacked, statistically probable, statuesque, suitable, suited, suiting, tailored, ten to one, tenable, thinkable, timely, to be desired, to the point, to the purpose, undoubtedly, useful, verisimilar, very like, very likely, well-built, well-favored, well-formed, well-made, well-proportioned, well-shaped, well-stacked, well-timed, wise, worthwhile