: the ratio of the number of outcomes in an exhaustive set of equally likely outcomes that produce a given event to the total number of possible outcomes
b
: a branch of mathematics concerned with the study of probabilities
2
: something (such as an event or circumstance) that is probable
There is a low probability that you will be chosen. There is some probability of rain tomorrow. With the dark clouds moving in, rain seems more like a probability than a possibility. The probability of a coin coming up heads is one out of every two tries.
Recent Examples on the WebJust yesterday, traders thought the probability of a three-quarters-percentage-point Fed rate hike at the September meeting was 77%. Matt Grossman, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 What is the probability former Vice President Pence testifies?CBS News, 4 Sep. 2022 West Palm Beach has a 12% probability of having a price decline of more than 10% and a 33% chance of having a price decline of less than 10%. Amber Bonefont, Sun Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022 Coastal California has a 33% to 40% probability of above-normal temperatures.Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2022 So the probability of one word following another word in English is very, very different than their sequences in Spanish. Daniela Hernandez, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 High-performing tech teams thrive on diversity, which brings balance to thought processes to ensure the probability of failure is low. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 The site gives the Mystics a 30% win probability in Game 1 of the series. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2022 Usually the probability of this happening is vanishingly slim. Ahmed Almheiri, Scientific American, 17 Aug. 2022 See More