In all likelihood
Example: In all likelihood, it will rain tomorrow afternoon.
Definition
"In all likelihood" is a phrase used to express that something is very probable or expected to happen based on the available evidence or circumstances. It suggests a high degree of certainty about an event occurring, as in "In all likelihood, it will rain tomorrow afternoon."
Etymology
The phrase "in all likelihood" combines the preposition 'in,' meaning within or during, with 'all,' emphasizing totality, and 'likelihood,' which derives from 'likely,' meaning probable or expected. The term 'likely' itself comes from Old English 'gelīc,' meaning 'like' or 'similar.' This phrase has evolved to indicate a strong probability, essentially meaning 'according to all probability.' Did you know? The word 'likelihood' was historically used in legal contexts to indicate the probability of an event.
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"In all likelihood" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C1) - set 1", containing 130 commonly used expressions.
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