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.
The India Meteorological Department anticipates the storm could have sustained winds of 75 mph at that point, with gusts probably exceeding 100 to 110 mph near the storm’s core. — Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026 They could probably be confined at home, with ankle bracelets, after some time in the Big House. — Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026 If your routine has crept past the double-digit step count and your skin keeps misbehaving anyway, the fix probably is not another serum. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026 This means that someone carrying the virus, probably without feeling sick, had traveled to Germany. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All