How to Use probability in a Sentence

probability

noun
Definition of probabilitynext
Synonyms for probabilitynext
  • The probability of a coin coming up heads is one out of every two tries.
  • There is a low probability that you will be chosen.
  • With the dark clouds moving in, rain seems more like a probability than a possibility.
  • There is some probability of rain tomorrow.
  • Most of the rest of the state has a 70 to 80 percent probability.
    — Leigh Morgan, al, 25 Apr. 2023
  • What is the probability that two copies of die A roll a sum that beats two copies of die B?
    — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2023
  • What this means for OKC is that there’s a high probability that the team ends up earning a spot in the play-in.
    — Nick Crain, Forbes, 1 Apr. 2023
  • The couple are more bullish—Chen puts the probability as high as 98%.
    — Will Henshall, TIME, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Instead, potential hazard in the form of probability of an earthquake in a decadal or more timescale is the coin of the realm.
    — Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023
  • If the Rams had lost, their playoff probabilities would fall with them.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2024
  • The play was ruled a hit, but Statcast pegged the hit probability on the flare at just 2%, so Freeman’s defensive stats took a hit.
    — Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023
  • Three of those are in the same region, so there’s a high probability that somebody new will be cutting down the nets in Houston.
    — Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2023
  • Easter Sunday has the highest probability of rain in months, with a 40% chance of rain.
    — Garfield Hylton, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2023
  • As a result, Fretwell and his colleagues think, there’s a high probability that no penguin chicks survived from four out of the five colonies in that area.
    — Denise Chow, NBC News, 24 Aug. 2023
  • Play will begin in 1960 with franchises in six cities with the probability of adding two more teams.
    — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2023
  • Sheer probability dictated that the war would plow straight into the Astal clan.
    — Iyad Abuheweila, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2023
  • There is a 60% chance of rain, with a 24% probability of thunderstorms.
    — Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2023
  • There is a 82% chance of rain, with a 49% probability of thunderstorms.
    — Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2023
  • In the American League, the Orioles’ recent surge gives them an 80% probability of winning the East.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023
  • Outdoor plans are a go, though, since rain probabilities will be 20 percent at most.
    — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2023
  • The fair share of points to land in the subregion is the number of points multiplied by the area of that region because the probability of a point landing in the region is equal to the region’s area.
    — Christopher Lutsko, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024
  • The Huskies should get a lot of offensive rebounds in this game to increase their probability of scoring points.
    — Vsin.com Staff, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2023
  • Even sportscasters appear to be run ragged by the probabilities.
    — John Otis, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2023
  • One other thing to note, this is all a probability forecast.
    — Max Golembo, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2023
  • Shopping online would take a fraction of the time and effort, and the probability of a successful search would be much higher.
    — Roger Dooley, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
  • South of town continues to have the greater probabilities of higher amounts of rain (graphic below).
    — A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2023
  • The question marks stemming from the hot inflation reading caused the probability of a Federal Reserve rate cut in May to plunge to less than 30%.
    — Bill Stone, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
  • Then the program makes a single change to that tree and compares the probability scores, keeping whichever tree is more probable.
    — Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024
  • The probability of rain in Boston is 60 percent or greater for all of Sunday, according to the weather service.
    — Haley Hersey, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Apr. 2023
  • Futures markets have set the probability of a Fed rate hike to zero for next year, and are instead pricing in four rate cuts beginning in May 2024.
    — Kevin A. Hassett, National Review, 12 Dec. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'probability.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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