improbable

adjective

im·​prob·​a·​ble (ˌ)im-ˈprä-bə-bəl 

-ˈpräb-bəl

: unlikely to be true or to occur

also : unlikely but real or true

improbability

(ˌ)im-ˌprä-bə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

improbably

(ˌ)im-ˈprä-bə-blē 

-ˈpräb-blē

adverb

Synonyms

• doubtful
• dubious
• far-fetched
• flimsy
• questionable
• unapt
• unlikely

Examples of improbable in a Sentence

The team made an improbable comeback.

it seems improbable that the two writers never met since they traveled in the same social circles

Recent Examples on the Web

After losing their previous 13 meetings with Ohio State over the past three-plus seasons, including a 5-1 loss on Friday, a St. Thomas victory over the No. 2 Buckeyes on Saturday at St. Thomas Ice Arena had to be considered improbable. —Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2024

The seemingly improbable friendship between the cat and the dog has since been viewed more than 2.4 million views since it was shared to TikTok on October 22. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Therefore, the prospect of Atleti moving away from Simeone feels improbable. —Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

And while that improbable scenario is unlikely to repeat, the proliferation of lawsuits this cycle has increased the odds that the Supreme Court may be forced to intervene yet again. —Catherine Cole, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin improbabilis, from in- + probabilis probable

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

improbable

adjective

im·​prob·​a·​ble (ˈ)im-ˈpräb(-ə)-bəl 

: not probable : unlikely to be true or to occur

improbability

(ˌ)im-ˌpräb-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

improbably

(ˈ)im-ˈpräb(-ə)-blē 

adverb