Unlikely
/ʌnˈlaɪkli/noun
Not likely to happen or be true.
Did you know?“Unlikely” is built from the old English prefix un- plus likely, and its power comes from negating what seems to fit, not from any occult root at all.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
un-
“not; opposite of”
Old English
OE
liclic
“similar; fitting; suitable”
Middle English
ME
unlikeli
“not probable; not suitable”
16th Century
English
unlikely
“not likely; improbable”
Modern English
English
unlikely
“not likely to happen or be true”