likelyとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源 1

From Middle English likely, likly, lykly, likliche, from 古期英語 ġelīclīċ (“likely”) and Old Norse líkligr (“likely”), both from Proto-Germanic *līkalīkaz, equivalent to like +‎ -ly.

形容詞

likely (comparative likelier または more likely, superlative likeliest または most likely)

1. probable; having a greater-than-even chance of occurring

   Rain is likely later this afternoon.

2. (as predicate, followed by to かつ infinitive) Reasonably to be expected; apparently destined, probable

   They are likely to become angry with him.

   He is likely to succeed at anything he tries.

   • 2013 April 9, Andrei Lankov, “Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff.”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     People who talk about an imminent possibility of war seldom pose this question: What would North Korea’s leadership get from unleashing a war that they are likely to lose in weeks, if not days?

   • 2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages - with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive.

3. appropriate, suitable; believable; promising, having a good potential

   Jones is a likely candidate for management.

   The relationship with social status is a likely topic for investigation.

4. plausible; within the realm of credibility

   not a very likely excuse.

   • 2011 December 19, Kerry Brown, “Kim Jong-il obituary”, in The Guardian‎^[3]:

     The DPRK propagated an extraordinary tale of his birth occurring on Mount Baekdu, one of Korea's most revered sites, being accompanied by shooting stars in the sky. It is more likely that he was born in a small village in the USSR, while his father was serving as a Soviet-backed general during the second world war.

5. leading with high probability to some specified outcome

   a likely recipe for disaster.

6. attractive; pleasant

   I found a likely spot under a shady tree for the picnic.

7. (obsolete) Similar; like; alike.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, An Hymne in Honour of Beautie

     For love is a celestiall harmonie Of likely harts composed of starres concent

同意語

• (as predicate, followed by "to" かつ infinitive): liable

派生語

• as likely as not
• likely lad
• likely story
• more than likely
• not likely
• not Pygmalion likely

名詞

likely (複数形 likelies)

1. Something or somebody considered likely.

語源 2

From Middle English likely, likly, lykly, likliche, from 古期英語 ġelīclīċe (“equally”) and Old Norse líkliga, glíkliga (“likely”), both from Proto-Germanic *līkalīka, equivalent to like +‎ -ly.

副詞

likely (comparative more likely, superlative most likely) (US)

1. (obsolete) Similarly.
2. Probably.

   Likely he’ll win the election in this economy.

   • 2018 February, Robert Draper, “They are Watching You—and Everything Else on the Planet: Technology and Our Increasing Demand for Security have Put Us All under Surveillance. Is Privacy Becoming just a Memory?”, in National Geographic‎^[4], Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 June 2018:

     Dismounting on the sidewalk, their helmets still on, they fall into a lengthy conversation. Their dialogue is known only to them. But there is something the men themselves likely don’t know: About a mile away, from a windowless room, two other men are watching them.

使用する際の注意点

• The adverb is more common in US English than in British English.
• As an adverb, likely is often preceded by a modifier such as most or quite.

アナグラム

• Ilkley, Killey