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# probability

noun (probability, probabilities)

«probability» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (maths) How likely something is to happen, given as a number from 0 (impossible) to 1 (certain), or as a fraction or percentage. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#m1)
2. The chance that something will happen: «There's a high probability of rain.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#m2)
3. (formal) «In all probability» means «very likely». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#m3)

### In the lessons

In maths lessons probability uses words like impossible, unlikely, even chance, likely, certain. A fair coin has probability 1/2 of heads; a dice has probability 1/6 of rolling a 3. Probability = number of ways it can happen ÷ total number of equally likely outcomes. Weather forecasts give the probability of rain. Phrases: «the probability of», «high/low probability», «in all probability», «probability scale».

### Examples

- The probability of getting heads is one half. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x1)
- What is the probability of rolling a six on a dice? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x2)
- There's a high probability of snow tomorrow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x3)
- In all probability, the bus will be late. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x4)
- Draw an arrow on the probability scale to show «unlikely». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x5)
- If a bag has 3 red and 1 blue marble, the probability of red is 3/4. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x6)
- The probability of an impossible event is 0. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x7)
- It is only a probability, but we cannot in any case reach more than probability in this matter, just at present. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/#x8)

### Note

Countable and uncountable. Adjective: probable; adverb: probably. In maths, probability is never less than 0 or more than 1; all the probabilities of the possible outcomes add up to 1. Trap: «probably» (likely) is not «certainly».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «probability» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/probability/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«probability» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/probability.html) on Mova free.