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adj. -li•er, -li•est,
likely, liable - Use likely if you mean "probable, expected"; use liable if you mean "bound by law or obligation."
Likely is usually an adjective. You say, for example, that something is likely to happen.
You can also say that it is likely that something will happen.
In conversation and in informal writing, likely is sometimes an adverb with most, more than, or very in front of it, or as part of the phrase more likely than not. Don't use it as an adverb on its own.
|Adj.||1.||likely - has a good chance of being the case or of coming about; "these services are likely to be available to us all before long"; "she is likely to forget"; "a likely place for a restaurant"; "the broken limb is likely to fall"; "rain is likely"; "a likely topic for investigation"; "likely candidates for the job"|
possible - capable of happening or existing; "a breakthrough may be possible next year"; "anything is possible"; "warned of possible consequences"
unlikely - has little chance of being the case or coming about; "an unlikely story"; "an unlikely candidate for reelection"; "a butcher is unlikely to preach vegetarianism"
|2.||likely - likely but not certain to be or become true or real; "a likely result"; "he foresaw a probable loss"|
|3.||likely - expected to become or be; in prospect; "potential clients"|
prospective - of or concerned with or related to the future; "prospective earnings"; "a prospective mother"; "a prospective bride"; "the statute is solely prospective in operation"
|4.||likely - within the realm of credibility; "not a very likely excuse"|
|Adv.||1.||likely - with considerable certainty; without much doubt; "He is probably out of the country"; "in all likelihood we are headed for war"|
what kind of changes are likely? → ¿qué tipo de cambios son probables?
snow is likely on high ground → es probable que nieve en zonas altas
it is likely that → es probable que + subjun
it is likely to rain later on → es probable que llueva más tarde
they are not likely to come → no es probable que vengan
he's likely to do anything → puede hacer cualquier cosa
he's the man most likely to win → es el que más probabilidades tiene de ganar
a likely story or tale! (iro) → ¡menudo cuento!, ¡y yo que me lo creo! (iro)
some prisoners will likely be released soon (US) → es probable que pronto se deje en libertad a algunos prisioneros
(as) likely as not he'll arrive early → lo más probable es que llegue pronto, seguramente llegará pronto
this is more than likely true → lo más probable or seguro es que sea cierto
"I expect she'll be re-elected" - "yes, more than likely" → -me imagino que la volverán a elegir -si, seguramente
not likely! → ¡ni hablar!
That's not very likely → C'est peu probable.
to be likely to do sth
She's likely to come → Elle viendra probablement.
He's likely to leave → Il va probablement partir.
He is likely to resign → Il va probablement démissionner.
They are now much more likely to accept the change → Ils sont maintenant bien plus à même d'accepter le changement.
She's not likely to come → Elle ne viendra probablement pas.
it is likely that ... → il est probable que ...
it appears likely that ... → il apparaît probable que ...
a likely explanation → una spiegazione attendibile or plausibile
a likely story! (iro) → ma a chi la racconti?, e io dovrei crederci?
when is the likeliest time to find you at home? → quando è più probabile trovarti a casa?
it's likely that I'll be late → molto probabilmente sarò in ritardo
an incident likely to cause trouble → un incidente che probabilmente causerà dei problemi
it's not likely that he'll come, he is not likely to come → è difficile che venga
he's likely to leave → è probabile che parta, probabilmente partirà