“Possibly” vs. “Probably”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “possibly” and “probably”

  • "Possibly" implies a lower degree of certainty than "probably."
  • "Possibly" means something may or may not happen, while "probably" means something is likely to happen.
  • The use of "possibly" indicates a greater level of doubt or uncertainty compared to "probably."
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What is the definition of “possibly” and “probably”?

Possibly
  • "Possibly" means that something may happen or exist.
  • It suggests that there is a chance of something occurring, but it is not certain.
  • It can be used to indicate uncertainty or doubt.
Probably
  • "Probably" means that something is likely or expected to happen or exist.
  • It suggests a higher degree of certainty than "possibly."
  • It can be used to indicate a strong likelihood or assumption.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Probably” is the more popular variant on the web.
Possibly
936,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. Possibly we’ll go to the beach this weekend if the weather is good.
  2. It’s possibly the best movie I’ve seen this year.
  3. She’ll possibly finish her project on time if she works hard.
More popular
Probably
1,860,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. He’ll probably arrive late for the meeting because he always does.
  2. The concert will probably be sold out by the time we get there.
  3. Probably they’ll choose the Italian restaurant for dinner since they love Italian food.
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