Likely
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈlaɪkli/
Origin
From Old Norse lÃkligr, from lÃkr ("like, similar").
Full definition of likely
Adjective
likely
- probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurringRain is likely later this afternoon.
- probableThey are likely to become angry with him.
- 2013, April 9, Andrei Lankov, Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff., People who talk about an imminent possibility of war seldom pose this question: What would North Korea’s leadership get from unleashing a war that they are likely to lose in weeks, if not days?
- appropriate, suitable; believable; having a good potentialJones is a likely candidate for management.
- plausible; Within the realm of credibilitynot a very likely excuse.
- 2011, December 19, Kerry Brown, Kim Jong-il obituary, The DPRK propagated an extraordinary tale of his birth occurring on Mount Baekdu, one of Korea's most revered sites, being accompanied by shooting stars in the sky. It is more likely that he was born in a small village in the USSR, while his father was serving as a Soviet-backed general during the second world war.
- promising; Apt to achieve success or yield a desired outcomea likely topic for investigation.
- attractive; pleasantfound a likely spot under a shady tree for the picnic.
- (as predicate, followed by to and infinitive) Reasonably to be expected; apparently destined.He is likely to succeed at anything he tries.
- 2011, November 3, Chris Bevan, Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham, In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages -with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive.
- (obsolete) Similar; like; alike.
Synonyms
- (as predicate, followed by "to" and infinitive) liable
Adverb
likely
- (obsolete) Similarly.
- Probably.
- 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ and if you don't look out there's likely to be some nice, lively dog taking an interest in your underpinning.”
- Likely he'll win the election in this economy.
Usage notes
As an adverb, likely is often preceded by a modifier such as most or quite.
Some usage guides consider adverbial likely - instead of probably - to be poor style and an artificial, sometimes pretentious way to imply a sense of erudition. One can also opt for the somewhat rarer adverbial form likelily.
Usage as an adverb is uncommon in British English, given the availability of the word probably.
If 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 be regarded as poor, not necessarily incorrect: They'll likely buy a new car this year (better: They'll probably buy a new car this year).
If used as an adverb, likely must be preceded by a word such as most, more or very:
We will most likely see him later.
In informal usage, likely is sometimes seen on its own:
We will likely see him later. (better: We will probably see him later.)
He said that he would likely run for President. (better: He said that he would probably run for President.) !