Improbable
/ɪmˈprɒbəbl/
Definitions
Not likely to happen or be true; unlikely.
/ɪmˈprɒbəbl/
Not likely to be true or to happen.
It is highly improbable that he will win the lottery.
💡 Simply: Imagine you flip a coin and it lands on its side – that's super unlikely, or improbable! It's like something you wouldn't expect to happen.
👶 For kids: Something that probably won't happen is improbable.
More Examples
The chances of finding life on Mars are considered improbable by many scientists.
It seemed improbable that they would ever find their lost dog, but they never gave up hope.
How It's Used
"It's improbable that it will rain today."
"The existence of extraterrestrial life, while not impossible, remains improbable."
From Latin *improbabilis*, meaning 'not provable' or 'unlikely'. Formed from *in-* (not) + *probabilis* (probable, from *probare*, to prove).
Used since the late 16th century, initially with a focus on things that could not be proven, later shifting towards things that are unlikely to happen.
Memory tip
Think of 'im' as 'not' and 'probable' as 'likely'.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: probabilis