probably

adverb

prob·​a·​bly ˈprä-bə-blē How to pronounce probably (audio)
ˈprä(b)-blē
: insofar as seems reasonably true, factual, or to be expected : without much doubt
is probably happy
it will probably rain

Examples of probably in a Sentence

The impact probably added all but the last few percent of Earth's mass and set the stage for Earth's and the Moon's subsequent evolution. Mark Wilson, Physics Today, February 2008
It was no secret that McKay preferred the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, and that, along with his innocent optimism and snark-free sincerity, probably makes him hopelessly old-fashioned. Richard Hoffer, Sports Illustrated, 16 June 2008
But what these newly inaugurated gym rats probably don't know is that besides buffing up their bodies for summer, they're also buffing up their brains. Christen Brownlee, Science News, 25 Feb. 2006
It will probably rain today. They will probably be here soon. It was probably the best concert I've ever been to. There were probably about 150 people at the wedding. “Are you going to the picnic?” “Probably.” “Can you finish painting the room today?” “Probably not.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Detectives working on the case eventually concluded that all the scam calls were probably coming from one person as the events and methods of operation were almost identical each time. Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 19 Jan. 2025 In fact, exchanging letters with Sebastien probably came with more bad feelings than good ones. Sheila Heti, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025 The point is, as Knoblauch insinuated, McDavid probably wouldn’t have felt the need to carry out some sort of vigilante justice if either referee — Wes McCauley or Chris Lee — raised an arm to penalize Garland for what transpired beforehand. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025 But tariffs would probably weigh on retailers like Ms. Bettencourt, who carries 75,000 items in her store, ranging from lawn mowers, chain saws, paint and barbecue sauce, to tropical fish, live reptiles, cookware and baby Carhartt overalls. Ana Swanson, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for probably 

Word History

Etymology

see probable entry 1

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of probably was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near probably

Cite this Entry

“Probably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/probably. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

probably

adverb
prob·​a·​bly ˈpräb-(ə-)blē How to pronounce probably (audio)
ˈpräb-lē
: without much doubt : very likely

More from Merriam-Webster on probably

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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