Dictionary Definition
likely 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, plausible] [ant: improbable]
3 expected to become or be; in prospect;
"potential clients"; "expected income" [syn: expected, potential]
4 within the realm of credibility; "not a very
likely excuse"; "a plausible story" [syn: plausible] adv : with
considerable certainty; without much doubt; "He is probably out of
the country"; "in all likelihood we are headed for war" [syn:
probably, in all
likelihood, in all
probability, belike]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
Middle English likly, from Old English gelclc(from gelc, similar), and from Old Norse lkligr(from lkr, similar); see lk- in Indo-European roots.Pronunciation
- /ˈlaɪkli/
Adjective
- probable; having a
good chance of occuring
- Rain is likely later this afternoon.
- probable;
Possessing or displaying the qualities or characteristics that
make something probable
- They are likely to become angry with him.
- appropriate;
believable; having a
good potential
- Jones is a likely candidate for management.
- plausible; Within
the realm of credibility
- not a very likely excuse.
- suitable;
Apparently appropriate or suitable
- There were several likely candidates for the job.
- promising; Apt to
achieve success or yield
a desired outcome
- a likely topic for investigation.
- attractive;
pleasant
- found a likely spot under a shady tree for the picnic.
Usage notes
Used as an adverb likely is most commonly preceded by a modifier such as very or quite: He will quite likely require some help with his classes. But the unmodified use of likely is common enough in educated writing, and though it might be better avoided in highly formal style, it should not be regarded as incorrect: They'll likely buy a new car this year.In standard English the adverb likely must be
used with word such as most,more or very:
- We will most likely see him later.
- We will likely see him later.
- He said that he would likely run for Prime Minister.
Translations
probable; having a good chance of occuring
- Finnish: todennäköinen
displaying the qualities or characteristics that
make something probable
- Finnish: luultava, todennäköinen
appropriate; believable; having a good potential
- Finnish: mahdollinen, todennäköinen
plausible; within the realm of credibility
- Finnish: uskottava, todennäköinen
suitable; apparently appropriate or suitable
- Finnish: sopiva, todennäköinen
promising; apt to achieve success or yield a
desired outcome
- Finnish: lupaava, todennäköinen
attractive; pleasant
- Finnish: miellyttävä
- ttbc Afrikaans: waarskynlik, vermoedelik
Extensive Definition
like is to smell
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
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