improbability

improbability
improbability (n.) 1590s, "fact or quality of being improbably;" see IMPROBABLE (Cf. improbable) + -ITY (Cf. -ity). Meaning "an instance of something improbable" is from 1610s.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Improbability — may also refer to the opposite of probability. Improbability is the modal probability employed by Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker s Guide to the Galaxy . Improbability is modeled after mathematical probability, but is only related to real… …   Wikipedia

  • Improbability — Im*prob a*bil i*ty, n.; pl. {Improbabilities}. [Cf. F. improbabilit[ e].] The quality or state of being improbable; unlikelihood; also, that which is improbable; an improbable event or result. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • improbability — I noun bare possibility, doubt, doubtfulness, implausibility, impossibility, inexpectation, infrequency, little chance, long odds, non verisimilis, nonexpectation, poor chance, poor prospect, questionability, rare occurrence, rarity, small chance …   Law dictionary

  • Improbability — (Roget s Thesaurus) < N PARAG:Improbability >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 improbability improbability unlikelihood Sgm: N 1 unfavorable chance unfavorable chance bad chance ghost of a chance little chance small chance poor chance scarcely any chance …   English dictionary for students

  • improbability — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) Lack of likelihood Nouns improbability, unlikelihood, unlikeliness; small or long chance, Chinaman s chance, ghost of a chance; long odds, long shot; incredibility (see doubt). See hopelessness,… …   English dictionary for students

  • improbability — noun the quality of being improbable impossibility should never be confused with improbability the improbability of such rare coincidences • Syn: ↑improbableness • Ant: ↑probability • Derivationally related forms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • improbability — improbable ► ADJECTIVE ▪ not likely to be true or to happen. DERIVATIVES improbability noun (pl. improbabilities) improbably adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • Improbability factor — In computer programming the improbability factor is a situation where a problem exists in a system. Frequently, the programmers are aware of the problem, but they are not allowed to fix the problem, solely because the chances of the problem ever… …   Wikipedia

  • improbability — noun see improbable …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • improbability — /im prob euh bil i tee, im prob /, n., pl. improbabilities for 2. 1. the quality or condition of being improbable; unlikelihood. 2. something improbable or unlikely. [1590 1600; IMPROBABLE + ITY] * * * …   Universalium

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