probably

adverb

prob·​a·​bly ˈprä-bə-blē How to pronounce probably (audio)
ˈprä(b)-blē
Synonyms of probably
: insofar as seems reasonably true, factual, or to be expected : without much doubt
is probably happy
it will probably rain

Synonyms of probably

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of probably in a Sentence

The impact probably added all but the last few percent of Earth's mass and set the stage for Earth's and the Moon's subsequent evolution. —Mark Wilson, Physics Today, February 2008
It was no secret that McKay preferred the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, and that, along with his innocent optimism and snark-free sincerity, probably makes him hopelessly old-fashioned. —Richard Hoffer, Sports Illustrated, 16 June 2008
But what these newly inaugurated gym rats probably don't know is that besides buffing up their bodies for summer, they're also buffing up their brains. —Christen Brownlee, Science News, 25 Feb. 2006
It will probably rain today. They will probably be here soon. It was probably the best concert I've ever been to. There were probably about 150 people at the wedding. “Are you going to the picnic?” “Probably.” “Can you finish painting the room today?” “Probably not.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In his dissent on the ballroom construction, Roberts wrote that the project – which has not been approved by Congress – probably infringes on lawmakers’ ability to control federal spending and to regulate federal property. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 And that is probably the most interesting thing about Bonnell's new 805 RX. — New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026 Google probably sees the lower prices as a necessity given that other AI labs have recently dropped token pricing to keep increasingly wary businesses engaged with AI tools. — ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 The publisher was apparently not too happy either, according to Wilson, though selling over a million copies of an ancient epic probably won her some wiggle room. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for probably

Word History

Etymology

see probable entry 1

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of probably was in 1600

Rhymes for probably

See All Rhymes for probably

Browse Nearby Words

probable word
probably
proband
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Probably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probably. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

probably

adverb
prob·​a·​bly ˈpräb-(ə-)blē How to pronounce probably (audio)
ˈpräb-lē
: without much doubt : very likely
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All