about equally likely

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "about equally likely" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing probabilities or chances of different outcomes that are similar in likelihood. Example: "When flipping a fair coin, the outcomes of heads and tails are about equally likely."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

Also peace, love, brotherhood, and a pony for everyone, which seem about equally likely.

The New York Times

But if there is such an error, the historical evidence suggests that it is about equally likely to run in either direction.

The New York Times

Women and men are about equally likely to express satisfaction with their work, although pay level more seems more likely to influence job satisfaction for men.

The New York Times

Colleges do not appear to be more dangerous than other places where young people congregate: according to Bureau of Justice statistics, 18-24-year-olds who do and don't attend college are about equally likely to be raped or sexually assaulted.Nonetheless, colleges are under unprecedented pressure to make campuses safer.

The Economist

On tests with three choices (call them A, B, and C), the options were about equally likely to be correct.

BBC

The researchers also found that women and men were about equally likely to be hired at the most prestigious institutions, but fewer women than men were hired at less prestigious universities.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

People who approve of President Donald Trump and those who disapprove are about equally as likely to say they have been in an argument.

Huffington Post

Italians excepted, everybody frets roughly equally about such things as loutishness and vandalism, and is about as likely to believe things are getting worse (see chart).

The Economist

Butler is fond of tangents and of distorting the music until the static swallows the words, but he is equally likely to talk about a girl whose hair smells like "April showers," and to mean exactly that.

The New Yorker

Put another way, the fact that many theories will always explain the evidence does not mean that those theories are all equally likely.Still, doubts about the rationality of science were fed from another quarter.

The Economist

Although you probably watched it at some point, it is equally likely that you forgot about it completely.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing the likelihood of two or more events, use "about equally likely" to indicate that their probabilities are nearly identical, without implying absolute certainty.

Common error

Avoid using "about equally likely" when there's a known significant difference in probabilities. This phrase suggests a close comparison and should not be used if one outcome is clearly favored.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "about equally likely" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause. It indicates the degree to which two or more events or outcomes share a similar probability of occurring. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is suitable for describing probabilities.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

44%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

16%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "about equally likely" is a common and grammatically correct way to express that two or more outcomes have roughly the same probability of occurring. Ludwig AI confirms the suitability of this phrase. It's frequently used in news, science, and formal contexts to convey a sense of balance or uncertainty between different possibilities. While alternatives like "roughly equally probable" or "approximately equally likely" exist, they carry slightly different nuances in formality and precision. When using "about equally likely", remember that it implies a close comparison and should not be used if there is a known, significant difference in the probabilities. It's important to be precise in indicating the degree of uncertainty and comparison of probabilities when using this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

roughly equally probable

Replaces "likely" with "probable" and "about" with "roughly", slightly altering the tone but maintaining the core meaning.

approximately equally likely

Substitutes "about" with "approximately", offering a more formal tone but retaining the same level of certainty.

almost equally likely

Replaces "about" with "almost", suggesting a very slight difference in likelihood, closer to certainty.

virtually equally likely

Substitutes "about" with "virtually", implying near-perfect equality in likelihood.

nearly equally likely

Similar to "almost equally likely", but may imply a slightly wider margin of possible difference.

more or less equally likely

Adds a degree of uncertainty, suggesting a rough equivalence in likelihood.

practically equally likely

Suggests that any difference in likelihood is negligible in a practical sense.

of comparable likelihood

Uses a different structure focusing on the comparison of likelihood rather than the equivalence.

of similar probability

Similar to "of comparable likelihood", but uses the term "probability".

with comparable chances

Rephrases using "chances" instead of "likelihood" or "probability", shifting to a slightly more informal register.

FAQs

How can I use "about equally likely" in a sentence?

Use "about equally likely" to indicate that two or more outcomes have a roughly similar chance of occurring. For instance, "In a fair lottery, each ticket is "about equally likely" to win".

What are some alternatives to "about equally likely"?

You can use alternatives such as "roughly equally probable", "approximately equally likely", or "almost equally likely" depending on the desired nuance.

Is it correct to say "equally likely" instead of "about equally likely"?

"Equally likely" suggests absolute equality in probability, while "about equally likely" allows for a slight margin of difference. Use "equally likely" only when the probabilities are truly identical.

What is the difference between "about equally likely" and "more or less equally likely"?

"About equally likely" suggests a close approximation, whereas "more or less equally likely" implies a greater degree of uncertainty and a less precise comparison of probabilities.