Probabilistic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌpɹɒb.ə.bɪˈlɪs.tɪk/

Definitions

1. Relating to or based on the likelihood or chance of something occurring rather than certainty
2. Pertaining to the concept of uncertainty and the analysis of events in terms of their potential occurrence and associated risks
3. Involving the use of probability to predict outcomes in various scenarios rather than relying solely on definitive answers

Etymology: "Probabilistic" is built from "probability" and "probabilism," with the suffix "-istic" added to each. The "-istic" ending means "relating to" or "characterised by," so the word describes something that operates in terms of likelihood rather than certainty. "Probabilism" itself is a doctrine name, tied to the Latin "probabilis," meaning "provable" or "credible," from "probare," "to test or prove." The two bases show two different routes into the word. "Probability" is the general notion of how likely an outcome is, while "probabilism" names a philosophical position, associated with a school of moral and theological reasoning that held an opinion could be acted on if it was backed by respectable authority, even when the opposite view was also defensible. Adding "-istic" to both gave English an adjective for anything governed by chance or likelihood, from statistical models to random processes.

Synonyms: stochastic, random, chance-based, uncertain, indeterminate

Antonyms: deterministic, certain, predictable