# probability

Pronunciation: say "prob-uh-BIL-i-tee" US /ˌpɹɑbəˈbɪlɪti/, UK /ˌpɹɒbəˈbɪlɪti/

## Noun

1. The relative likelihood that a given event will happen.
   - Simple: How likely something is to happen, compared to other outcomes.
   - _Engineers calculated the probability of a part failing under stress._
   - _Investors judge the probability of a downturn before shifting their money._
2. The state or quality of being probable.
   - Simple: The fact that something is likely to be true or to happen.
   - _The probability of the bridge holding seemed reasonable to the inspectors._
   - _Given the evidence, the probability of his innocence struck the jury as slim._
3. An outcome that has become likely; a real prospect.
   - Simple: Something that will most likely happen.
   - _A second wave of layoffs became a clear probability after the report._
   - _With supplies running low, rationing turned into a probability nobody welcomed._
4. A precise measure of how likely an event is, expressed as a number from 0 (impossible) to 1 (certain).
   - Simple: A number from 0 to 1 that shows how likely something is to happen.
   - _The probability of rolling a six on a fair die is one sixth._
   - _Assigning a probability of 0.5 to each side reflects a balanced coin._

## Origin

The word came into English from Middle French probabilité, which came from Latin probābilitās ('probability, credibility'), derived from probābilis ('probable, credible').

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/probability (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).