English · Word Candidate

likely

/ˈlaɪkli/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: likelier · likeliest · likelies

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Có khả năng xảy ra cao

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Rain is likely later this afternoon.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Reasonably to be expected; apparently destined, probable.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Có thể dự đoán được, có vẻ như định mệnh

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Do you think there's likely to be snow?

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Something or somebody considered likely.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Một thứ hoặc một người nào đó được coi là có khả năng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Probably.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Có khả năng cao

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

AdverbRegister: US

Examples

Likely he’ll win the election in this economy.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “likely” mean?

Probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring.

Is “likely” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.