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Added 9 October 2026

maybe

/ˈmeɪ.bi/ adverb

In Latin: fortasse, forsitan, fors Wiktionary

adverb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about maybe at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Perhaps, possibly.
A small extra effort now can maybe save you much work later.
Perhaps that is true .
Certainly.
Maybe not the best idea.

adjective

Possible; uncertain.

noun

Something that is possibly true.
An answer that shows neither agreement nor disagreement.
The results of the poll were inconclusive. We got two yeses, three nos, and four maybes.
A future event that may or may not happen.
About your raise: it's a big maybe.

Origin

From an ellipsis of Middle English it may be, equivalent to may + be. Compare mayhap.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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