Probably Meaning
Probably Definition & Usage
Used to express a high degree of probability or likelihood that something will happen or is true.
Examples
- "She will probably arrive late to the party."
- "It's probably going to rain tomorrow, so bring an umbrella."
- "I will probably need some help with this project."
- "The meeting will probably take longer than expected."
- "He probably knows about the surprise, but he's pretending not to."
Used to indicate an educated guess or speculation about something that is not confirmed or uncertain.
Examples
- "You’re probably right about the answer, but let’s check."
- "He probably went to the store after work."
- "This is probably the last time we’ll meet before the holidays."
- "They’ll probably call us back tomorrow."
- "I probably won’t be able to attend the event, but I’ll let you know."
Cultural Context
The word 'probably' comes from Middle English 'probabil', derived from Latin 'probabilis', meaning 'worthy of approval.' It has been used for centuries in English to convey likelihood or uncertainty.
The Mystery of the Missing Files
Story
The Mystery of the Missing Files
Samantha had just finished her shift when she noticed something odd. Her desk was perfectly arranged, but one file was missing. The first thought that crossed her mind was that she had probably misplaced it in her rush to leave earlier that day. But something didn’t sit right—she had never forgotten a file before. 'Could someone have taken it?' she mused, tapping her pen on the desk. Her coworker, Jack, who had just walked in, overheard her. 'You probably just left it somewhere,' he said with a casual shrug, but his tone seemed off. He had always been a little too nonchalant about work things. Samantha nodded but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. 'I’m not sure. It’s probably somewhere in the office, but if not, someone else must have taken it.' She looked at him sharply, wondering if he knew more than he was letting on. Later that afternoon, she got a call from the HR department. 'The file is probably in the safe,' they told her. Samantha sighed in relief, but as she was about to hang up, she heard something strange in the background. She couldn’t place it, but it didn’t sound like someone had just found the file—it sounded like someone was searching for something. At this point, Samantha was almost certain the file hadn’t simply been misplaced. 'Jack, do you think it’s possible someone intentionally hid it?' she asked later, as they sat down for coffee. 'It’s probably not that serious,' Jack replied, though his voice lacked conviction. Samantha wasn’t so sure. She felt the need to investigate further. The mystery of the missing file had now turned into something far more complicated than she had probably expected. What started as a minor office mistake now seemed like a carefully orchestrated act. She wasn’t about to let it go until she found out the truth. As the investigation unfolded, Samantha began to wonder if she had missed clues along the way. 'I probably overlooked something,' she thought one evening, looking over her notes. But she wasn’t ready to give up. The answer was out there, and she would find it, no matter how long it took.
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