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Probable vs Possible - What's the difference?

probable | possible |

Possible is a related term of probable.



As adjectives the difference between probable and possible

is that probable is likely or most likely to be true while possible is able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.

As a noun possible is

a possible one.

probable

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Likely or most likely to be true.
  • It's probable that it will rain tomorrow.
    The probable source of the failure was the mass of feathers in the intake manifold.
  • Likely to happen.
  • With all the support we have, success is looking probable .
  • Supporting, or giving ground for, belief, but not demonstrating.
  • probable''' evidence; '''probable presumption
    (Blackstone)
  • (obsolete) Capable of being proved.
  • Antonyms

    * improbable

    See also

    * possible * probeable

    possible

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (usually, not comparable) Able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;
  • (comparable) Capable of being done or achieved; feasible.
  • * {{quote-book, 1901, Louis Freeland Smith, The Public, volume=4, page=438, pageurl=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000080738168&page=search;seq=444;view=image;num=438
  • , passage=And success in minor degree, in the sense in which he uses the term "success," is only somewhat more possible than success in winning the White House chair.}}
  • * {{quote-news, 1993, September 10, Lee Michael Katz, Expectant Mideast hopes to bear twin peace deals, USA Today, page=2A citation
  • , passage=Peace between Israel and the Arab countries is "more possible than any time before," says ex-Arab League U.N. ambassador Clovis Maskoud. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= A punch in the gut , passage=Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible . Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.}}
  • Being considered, e.g. for a position.
  • Derived terms

    * as much as possible * ASAP (as soon as possible) * possibly

    Antonyms

    * (able but not certain to happen) certain, inevitable, impossible * (capable of being done) impossible

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A possible one
  • (colloquial, rare) A possible choice, notably someone being considered for a position.
  • Jones is a possible for the new opening in sales.
  • (rare) A particular event that may happen.
  • Synonyms

    * possibility * option

    Antonyms

    * impossible * no-go

    Statistics

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    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----