Probably going to happen or be true. It can also describe someone or something that seems suitable or promising for a particular purpose.
From Old English *gelīclic* meaning “similar, suitable,” later shifting toward “probable.” The *-ly* here is part of the old adjective, not the usual adverb ending.
When we say something is ‘likely,’ we rarely name the number—50%, 80%, 95%—but our brain secretly assigns one. Misunderstandings often happen because two people hear ‘likely’ but imagine very different odds.
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