different between probable vs seem

English

Etymology

From Middle English probable, from Old French probable, from Latin prob?bilis (“that may be proved, credible”), from prob?re (“to test, examine”); see probe, prove. Compare recent doublet provable.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p??b?bl?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??b?bl?/
• Hyphenation: prob?a?ble

Adjective

probable (comparative more probable, superlative most probable)

1. Likely or most likely to be true.

2. Likely to happen.

3. Supporting, or giving ground for, belief, but not demonstrating.
4. (obsolete) Capable of being proved.

Antonyms

• improbable

Related terms

• probability
• probable cause
• probably

Translations

See also

• possible
• probeable

Noun

probable (plural probables)

1. Something that is likely.
   • 2013, Ikuhiko Hata, Yasuho Izawa, Christopher Shores, Japanese Naval Fighter Aces 1932-45 (page 57)

     Four of the 32 251 Ku aircraft turned back, but the other 28 fought for 20 minutes against a reported 100 enemy aircraft, claiming 18 destroyed and five probables.

2. A person who is likely to appear or do a certain thing.

Further reading

• probable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• probable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin prob?bilis.

Adjective

probable (epicene, plural probables)

1. probable

Antonyms

• improbable

Related terms

• probabilidá

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin prob?bilis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /p?o?ba.bl?/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /p?u?ba.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /p?o?ba.ble/
• Rhymes: -a?le

Adjective

probable (masculine and feminine plural probables)

1. probable

Antonyms

• improbable

Derived terms

• probablement

Related terms

• probabilitat

Further reading

• “probable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

French

Etymology

From Latin prob?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??.babl/

Adjective

probable (plural probables)

1. probable (all meanings)

Related terms

• improbable
• probabilité
• probablement

Further reading

• “probable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Galician

Alternative forms

• probábel

Etymology

From Latin prob?bilis.

Adjective

probable m or f (plural probables)

1. probable

Antonyms

• improbable, improbábel

Derived terms

• probablemente

Related terms

• probabilidade

Ido

Adverb

probable

1. probably

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin prob?bilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?o?bable/, [p?o???a.??le]

Adjective

probable (plural probables)

1. probable, likely
2. provable

Antonyms

• improbable

Derived terms

• probablemente

Related terms

• probabilidad

English

Alternative forms

• seme (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English semen (“to seem, befit, be becoming”), from Old Norse sœma (“to conform to, beseem, befit”), from Proto-Germanic *s?mijan? (“to unite, fit”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one; whole”). Cognate with Scots seme (“to be fitting; beseem”), Danish sømme (“to beseem”), Old Swedish søma, Faroese søma (“to be proper”). Related also to Old Norse sómi (“honour”) ( > archaic Danish somme (“decent comportment”)), Old Norse sœmr (“fitting, seemly”), Old English s?man (“to reconcile, bring an agreement”), Old English s?m (“agreement”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si?m/
• Rhymes: -i?m
• Homophones: seam, seme

Verb

seem (third-person singular simple present seems, present participle seeming, simple past and past participle seemed)

1. (copulative) To appear; to look outwardly; to be perceived as.
   • 1460-1500, The Towneley Plays?

     He is so fair, without lease, he seems full well to sit on this.

   • 1813 (14^thc.), Dante Alighieri, The Vision of Hell as translated by The Rev. H. F. Cary.

     He, from his face removing the gross air, / Oft his left hand forth stretch'd, and seem'd alone / By that annoyance wearied.
2. (obsolete) To befit; to beseem.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Derived terms

• meseems
• seeming
• seemingly
• seemly
• seemlihood
• seemliness

Translations

Anagrams

• Esme, Esmé, emes, mese, seme, semé, smee

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch s?m, from Proto-Germanic *saimaz.

Noun

sêem m

1. honey

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: zeem
• West Flemish: zêem

Further reading

• “seem”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929) , “seem”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, ?ISBN