From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprobableprob‧a‧ble1 /ˈprɒbəbəl $ ˈprɑː-/ ●●○ adjective PROBABLYlikely to exist, happen, or be true The probable cause of the fire was faulty wiring. Success is highly probable.it is probable (that) It seems probable that the accident has damaged her brain.probable outcome/consequence/result The probable result of global warming will be a rise in sea levels.
Examples from the Corpus
probable• There is no record of Osbald's parentage but a Bernician extraction seems highly probable.• Unless the government agrees to further talks, a strike seems highly probable.• If the measure passes the House, Senate approval is considered probable.• The report states that the probable cause of death was a heart attack.• Measles is the probable cause of illness in the three athletes.• The project will go ahead, at a probable cost of $2.1 million.• It will give them crucial details about his shoe size and probable height and weight.• He openly talked of him as the probable successor to the see of Canterbury.• She disposed quickly of red herrings, usually sought out the least probable suspect and rarely failed.• It is probable that deliberate equivocation in respect of the intended sense of word forms is always to some extent odd.• It is very probable that Grey took some part in Leapor's subscription.• It is probable that in retrospect he gave that factor more weight than it carried at the time.• It seems probable that the election will be held in May.• Light rain is probable tomorrow evening.probable outcome/consequence/result• The most probable outcome is 100-150 deaths from thyroid cancer over the same period.• The probable consequence is that doctors will be given the task.• It was held that the accused was aware of the probable consequences of firing the gun as he did.probableprobable2 noun [countable] PROBABLYsomeone who is likely to be chosen for a team, to win a race etcExamples from the Corpus
probable• Four further claims for Hurricanes were made by all 12 pilots of the 156° Gruppo jointly, two confirmed and two probables.Origin probable1 (1300-1400) French Latin probabilis, from probare; → PROBE2 