osannolikt

Osannolikt is a Swedish adjective meaning unlikely or not likely. It is used to describe events, statements, or possibilities that have low probability. The word is formed from the negating prefix o- attached to sannolik, which means probable; the overall sense is that something is not probably true or plausible. In practice, osannolikt is used both in predicative position after the verb be and in attributive position before a noun, with the form adapting to number and definiteness.

Etymology and related terms: osannolikt comes from the common Swedish adjective sannolik (probable) with a negating prefix. Its formation follows a pattern seen in many Germanic languages, where a negative prefix combined with a positive adjective yields a word describing low likelihood. A closely related term in Swedish is omöjligt (impossible), though osannolikt does not carry the strength of certainty that omöjligt does; osannolikt indicates low probability rather than absolute impossibility.

Usage: Osannolikt is used to express doubt about outcomes or claims. Examples include: Det är osannolikt att planen lyckas inom tidsramen. It låter osannolikt att han kommer att ändra åsikt. Ett osannolikt scenario kan ändå ske under ovanliga omständigheter. The adjective can occur in different inflected forms depending on gender, number, and article, though the base form osannolikt is common in predicative use.

Synonyms and nuance: Synonyms include sannolikt inte (not very likely) or mindre troligt, while antonyms include sannolikt och troligt. The term is a standard part of formal and informal Swedish, balancing precision with relativity in probability judgments.