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

Both improbable and inspirational, the 70-member orchestra grew from a fledgling adult education program at the local high school into a beloved institution through the hard work of its founder, Joel Lish, and Eva Holberg. —Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2025

But to have some other physics end up looking so similar would require a very specific and improbable set of circumstances. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 19 Feb. 2025

Ska as rendered by the 2 Tone crew was a protest-any-hegemony template that took root in the most improbable places: Orange County, California; the Basque country of Spain; Russia; China; Venezuela; Argentina. —Ian Penman, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025

The current political climate, combined with competing priorities within the U.S. Department of Education, makes sweeping changes improbable. —Scott White, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for improbable

• probable

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