Improbability: meaning, definitions and examples

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improbability

 

[ ɪmˌprɒbəˈbɪlɪti ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

rare

The quality or state of being improbable; unlikelihood.

Synonyms

implausibility, unlikelihood, unlikeliness

Examples of usage

  • The probability of winning the lottery is very low, indicating a high level of improbability.
  • The improbability of such a coincidence occurring is staggering.
Context #2 | Noun

statistics

The extent to which an event is unlikely to occur.

Synonyms

low probability, slim chance, unlikelihood

Examples of usage

  • The improbability of rolling a six on a fair six-sided die is 1/6.
  • The data showed a high level of improbability in the results.
Context #3 | Noun

philosophy

In philosophy, the notion that an event or situation is highly unlikely or contrary to what is expected.

Synonyms

implausibility, unlikelihood, unlikeliness

Examples of usage

  • The improbability of life arising spontaneously from non-living matter is a topic of debate in philosophy.
  • The philosopher discussed the concept of improbability in relation to determinism.

Translations

Translations of the word "improbability" in other languages:

🇵🇹 improbabilidade

🇮🇳 असंभाव्यता

🇩🇪 Unwahrscheinlichkeit

🇮🇩 ketidakmungkinan

🇺🇦 неймовірність

🇵🇱 nieprawdopodobieństwo

🇯🇵 ありえないこと

🇫🇷 improbabilité

🇪🇸 improbabilidad

🇹🇷 olasılıksızlık

🇰🇷 불확실성

🇸🇦 استحالة

🇨🇿 nepravděpodobnost

🇸🇰 nepravdepodobnosť

🇨🇳 不大可能性

🇸🇮 neverjetnost

🇮🇸 ósennileiki

🇰🇿 мүмкін еместік

🇬🇪 სავარაუდოობა

🇦🇿 ehtimalsızlıq

🇲🇽 improbabilidad

Etymology

The word 'improbability' originated from the prefix 'im-' meaning 'not' or 'opposite of' and the word 'probability' which comes from the Latin 'probabilitas'. The concept of improbability has been discussed in various fields such as statistics, philosophy, and everyday language to describe events or outcomes that are unlikely to occur. It is often used to express the unlikelihood of a certain event happening.

See also: probabilistic, probabilities.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #23,891, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.