tõenäosuseks

Tõenäosuseks is the translative form of the Estonian noun tõenäosus, meaning probability or likelihood. It is a grammatical form used to express a shift into or assignment of a state described by probability, often in formal or analytic contexts.

Etymology and form: The base word tõenäosus comes from Estonian for probability or likelihood. The suffix -useks marks the translative case, which is used to indicate a transition into a state or role. Thus tõenäosuseks literally translates roughly as “to a probability” or “as a probability,” depending on the construction.

Usage and meaning: Tõenäosuseks is commonly found in formal, statistical, or argumentative writing where a claim is described in probabilistic terms. It appears in phrases like on tõenäosuseks, et … (“there is a probability that …”) or hinnata tõenäosuseks, et … (“to assess the probability that …”). The form helps attribute a quantitative or qualitative likelihood to a proposition, without asserting certainty.

Related terms: The noun tõenäosus broadly covers probability, while tõenäolisus is another related noun used for the concept of likelihood. The adjective tõenäoline denotes something as likely, and statistilised terms in Estonian often distinguish between probability, likelihood, and related measures.

See also: Probability theory in Estonian; Estonian grammar and translative case; statistical reporting in Estonian.

Notes: Tõenäosuseks is primarily a formal or technical usage. In everyday language, speakers may prefer simpler constructions such as tõenäoline or on võimalus, depending on context.