From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprobabilityprob‧a‧bil‧i‧ty /ˌprɒbəˈbɪləti $ ˌprɑː-/ ●●○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]PROBABLY how likely something is, sometimes calculated in a mathematical way SYN likelihood, chancethe probability of (doing) something The probability of winning the lottery is really very low.probability that There is a 95% probability that she will not have the disease.high/strong probability There’s a high probability that the children will follow a different career. You must decide whether, on the balance of probabilities, he committed the crime.2 [singular] what is likely or something that is likely The probability is that smaller businesses will not have to pay the tax. A peace agreement now seems a probability rather than a possibility.3 → in all probabilityCOLLOCATIONSadjectiveshighThis method of treatment has a high probability of success.lowThe probability of being struck by lightning is pretty low.a strong probability (=a high probability)There is a strong probability that the letter has been destroyed.an equal probabilityEach new baby has an approximately equal probability of inheriting maleness or femaleness.the statistical probabilityThe statistical probability of a plane crash is increasing.phraseson the balance of probabilities (=considering the probability of two or more events)A decision about removing a child from its parents is made on the balance of probabilities.
Examples from the Corpus
probability• There is a 90% probability that the hurricane will hit the coast of Florida later today.• They have shown that certain approaches have a high probability of success, while others, a high probability of failure.• Citing mathematical probabilities clearly does not establish the nonexistence of extraterrestrial being.• Most students need probability and statistics more than they need calculus.• They have rewritten the record books, stormed the male bastion of Grandmaster chess, and defied the laws of probability.• We talk, therefore, of probabilities or outcomes provided circumstances do not change.• Children with formal operations typically respond to this kind of problem with responses based on probability.• Genetic tests show a 99.4 percent probability that Hill is the child's father.• War is a real probability.• There is a strong probability that the problem will recur if we do not deal with it now.• What about measures based on odds rather than probabilities?• We must increase our efforts to reduce the probability of such an accident happening again.• The probability of catching the disease from your partner is extremely low.high/strong probability• Even when the correct word was given a high probability, there were many other words with an equally high probability.• It will be important to present an idea that has a high probability of success.• They have shown that certain approaches have a high probability of success, while others, a high probability of failure.• Also there is a high probability that your holiday meals were lower in roughage than your own regime at home.• As many good projects - those with a high probability of being profitable - as possible should be estimated.• Does he need a home run so bad that he should risk the high probability of a strikeout?From Longman Business Dictionaryprobabilityprob‧a‧bil‧i‧ty /ˌprɒbəˈbɪlətiˌprɑː-/ noun (plural probabilities) [countable, uncountable] STATISTICS the chance that something will happen, calculated mathematicallyCompanies may collaborate (=work together) in working out loss probabilities.the influence of significant variables, including probability 