Unlikely vs Possibly - What's the difference?
unlikely | possibly |
Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.
* 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
Not holding out a prospect of success; likely to fail; unpromising.
Something or somebody considered unlikely.
* 1980 , Robert K. Lindsay, Applications of artificial intelligence for organic chemistry
* 1996 , Laurie R. King, To Play the Fool
* 2001 , Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Marci Shimoff, Chicken soup for the mother's soul 2 (page 166)
(modifying a clause or predicate)
(modifying a verb)
As adverbs the difference between unlikely and possibly
is that unlikely is in an improbable manner while possibly is (modifying a clause or predicate).As an adjective unlikely
is not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.As a noun unlikely
is something or somebody considered unlikely.unlikely
English
Adjective
(en-adj)- It's very unlikely that you'll be able to walk perfectly after being in a cast for six months.
- Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing. Yet oddly enough I found here a far more unlikely substance, and that was camphor.
- unlikely means
Noun
(unlikelies)- The molecular ion candidates are divided by the testing phase into three categories: rejects, unlikelies , and probables. Differences between each candidate and the prominent peaks in the spectrum are computed.
- "Here is my every possible phone number, plus a few unlikelies . And I've also put down the numbers of Karin and Wade, in case you've lost them. Karin can come anytime; Wade, up until six in the morning."
- Then the most unlikely of unlikelies happened. We got another phone call. Another woman wanted to give us a baby—a boy, born just that morning. We walked into a hospital, and he was placed into my arms.
References
*possibly
English
Adverb
(en adverb)- Possibly , they will make gains in the midterm elections.
- It was possibly the costliest mistake in the organization's history.
- This rare and possibly unique specimen must be conserved.
- I'm much stronger than you, so you can't possibly win.
- I couldn't possibly be there on time.
- I couldn't possibly cheat on my wife.
- It seems unlikely, but, yes, they could possibly win even now.
- The police don't know him, and the information they have leads them to think he could possibly have murdered his wife.
