possible

From Middle English possible, from Old French possible, from Latin possibilis (“possible”), from posse, possum (“to be able”); see power. Displaced Middle English acumendlic (“possible”), from Old English ācumendlīċ (“possible”). Compare also Old English mihtelīċ (“strong, capable, powerful, possible”), which was cognate with Old High German mahtlīh (“possible”) and Old Norse máttulígr (“mighty, possible”). Compare also Dutch mogelijk (“possible”) and German möglich (“possible”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒ.sɪ.bl̩/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑ.sə.bl̩/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Hyphenation: pos‧si‧ble

possible (comparative more possible, superlative most possible)

1. (usually not comparable) Able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.

   Synonyms: futurable; see also Thesaurus:possible

   Antonyms: certain, inevitable, impossible

   Rain tomorrow is possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.

   It's not just possible, it's probable that there will be rain tomorrow.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; […] . Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.

2. (comparable) Capable of being done or achieved; feasible.

   Synonyms: achievable, doable, viable

   Antonym: impossible

   It's possible for anyone to learn to play the bagpipes.

   • 1901, Louis Freeland Smith, The Public, volume 4, page 438:

     And success in minor degree, in the sense in which he uses the term "success," is only somewhat more possible than success in winning the White House chair.

   • 1993 September 10, Lee Michael Katz, “Expectant Mideast hopes to bear twin peace deals”, in USA Today‎, page 2A:

     Peace between Israel and the Arab countries is "more possible than any time before," says ex-Arab League U.N. ambassador Clovis Maskoud.

   • 2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3:

     Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.

3. Being considered, e.g. for a position.

   Jones and Smith are both possible for the opening in sales.

4. Apparently valid, likely, plausible.

   Synonyms: likely, plausible

   Antonym: implausible

• possibility
• potent
• potential
• probable
• improbable
• incidental
• contingent

possible (plural possibles)

1. (colloquial, rare) A possible choice, notably someone being considered for a position.

   Synonym: candidate

   Jones is a possible for the new opening in sales.

2. (colloquial, rare) That which is possible for somebody.
   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

     […] “don’t you be in any great hurry after that treasure.”
     “Why, sir, I do my possible, which that ain’t,” said Silver. “I can only, asking your pardon, save my life and the boy’s by seeking for that treasure; and you may lay to that.”

3. (rare) A particular event that may happen.

• possibility
• option

• impossible
• no-go

• “possible”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “possible”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

• bespoils

Borrowed from Latin possibilis.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [puˈsib.blə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [poˈsi.ble]

possible m or f (masculine and feminine plural possibles)

1. possible

   Antonym: impossible

• possibilitat
• possiblement

• impossible

• “possible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Borrowed from Latin possibilis.

• IPA^(key): /pɔ.sibl/

• audio

  (file)

possible (plural possibles)

1. possible

possible

1. (archaic) possibly
   • 1657, Cyrano de Bergerac, Les Etats et Empires de la Lune‎:

     […] ils conclurent tous d’une commune voix que je n’étais pas un homme, mais possible quelque espèce d’autruche, vu que je portais comme elle la tête droite, que je marchais sur deux pieds, et qu’enfin, hormis un peu de duvet, je lui étais tout semblable […]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• possibilité
• possiblement

possible m (plural possibles)

1. the possible, feasible, what can be done, achieved etc.

   J’ai fait mon possible pour votre fils, mais sans discipline, il ne s’efforce pas à plein.

   I've done what I can for your son, but without discipline, he won't put in full effort.

• “possible”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.