possible

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
(pŏs'ə-bəl) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Capable of happening, existing, or being true without contradicting proven facts, laws, or circumstances.
  2. Capable of occurring or being done without offense to character, nature, or custom.
  3. Capable of favorable development; potential: a possible site for the new capital.
  4. Of uncertain likelihood.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin possibilis, from posse, to be able.]

possibly pos'si·bly adv.

SYNONYMS   possible, workable, practicable, feasible, viable. These adjectives mean capable of occurring or being done. Possible indicates that something may happen, exist, be true, or be realizable: "I made out a list of questions and possible answers" (Mary Roberts Rinehart). Workable is used of something that can be put into effective operation: If the scheme is workable, how will you implement it? Something that is practicable is capable of being effected, done, or put into practice: "As soon as it was practicable, he would conclude his business" (George Eliot). Feasible refers to what can be accomplished, brought about, or carried out: Making cars by hand is possible but not economically feasible. Viable implies having the capacity for continuing effectiveness or success: "How viable are the ancient legends as vehicles for modern literary themes?" (Richard Kain).


Top

adjective

  1. Capable of occurring or being done: feasible, practicable, viable, workable. Idioms: within reach. See possible/impossible.
  2. Capable of being but not yet in existence: eventual, latent, potential. See possible/impossible.
  3. Having a chance of happening or being true: contingent, likely, probable. See likely/unlikely.
  4. Capable of being anticipated, considered, or imagined: conceivable, earthly, imaginable, likely, mortal, thinkable. Idioms: humanly possible, within theboundsrangerealmof possibility. See possible/impossible.
  5. Capable of favorable development: potential. See possible/impossible.


adj

Definition: likely, attainable
Antonyms: impossible, unattainable, ungettable, unlikely, unrealizable

Word Tutor:

possibly

Top
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: adv. - By chance; With a chance of becoming actual.

pronunciation Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all that he can. — Henry Drummond

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'possibly'

Top
Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to possibly, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Possibly.
Misspellings:

possible

Top

Common misspelling(s) of possible

  • possable

Translations:

Possible

Top

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - mulig, eventuel
n. - mulighed

Nederlands (Dutch)
mogelijk, eventueel

Français (French)
adj. - possible, concevable, potentiel, éventuel
n. - possible

Deutsch (German)
adj. - möglich
n. - in Frage kommender Kandidat, Höchstpunktzahl

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - δυνατός, εφικτός, πραγματοποιήσιμος, πιθανός, ενδεχόμενος, λογικός
n. - η ανώτατη δυνατή βαθμολογία, το μέγιστο σκορ, πιθανός υποψήφιος, μέλος ομάδας κ.λπ.

Italiano (Italian)
possibile, eventuale

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - possível
n. - possível (m)

Русский (Russian)
возможный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - posible, eventual
n. - lo posible

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - möjlig, tänkbar
n. - möjlighet

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
可能的, 合理的, 可允许的, 有可能的, 合适的, 尚可的, 可能性, 可能的事物

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 可能的, 合理的, 可允許的, 有可能的, 合適的, 尚可的
n. - 可能性, 可能的事物

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 가능한
n. - 가능한 일

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 可能性, 適当なもの, 可能性のあるもの
adj. - 可能な, 起こりうる, 有り得る, 満足できる, 可能な限りの

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) ممكن, محتمل (الاسم) مؤهل, جائز‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮אפשרי, ייתכן, בא בחשבון, שבכוח, פוטנציאלי‬
n. - ‮אדם שבא בחשבון, דבר שבא בחשבון‬


Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

Copyrights:

Mentioned in

out
ASAP (abbreviation)
Bach, John (Quotes By)
Borghese, G. A. (Quotes By)
Mclaren, William E. (Quotes By)