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Webster 1913 Edition

Possible

Pos′si-ble

,
Adj.
[F., fr. L.
possibilis
, fr.
posse
to be able, to have power;
potis
able, capable +
esse
to be. See
Potent
,
Am
, and cf.
Host
a landlord.]
Capable of existing or occurring, or of being conceived or thought of; able to happen; capable of being done; not contrary to the nature of things; – sometimes used to express extreme improbability; barely able to be, or to come to pass;
as, possibly he is honest, as it is
possible
that Judas meant no wrong
.
With God all things are
possible
.
Matt. xix. 26.
Syn. – Practicable; likely. See
Practicable
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Possible

POS'SIBLE

,
Adj.
[L. possibilis, from posse. See Power.]
That may be or exist; that may be now, or may happen or come to pass; that may be done; not contrary to the nature of things. It is possible that the Greeks and Turks may now be engaged in battle. It is possible that peace of Europe may continue a century. It is not physically possible that a stream should ascend a mountain, but it is possible that the Supreme Being may suspend a law of nature, that is, his usual course of proceeding. It is not possible that 2 and 3 should be 7, or that the same action should be morally right and morally wrong.
This word when pronounced with a certain emphasis, implies improbability. A thing is possible, but very improbable.

Definition 2024

possible

possible

English

Adjective

possible ‎(comparative possibler or more possible, superlative possiblest or most possible)

  1. (usually not comparable) Able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.
    Rain tomorrow is possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.‎
    It's not just possible, it's probable.‎
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 8, in The Celebrity:
      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.
    It's possible for anyone to learn to pay 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”, in Expectant Mideast hopes to bear twin peace deals, 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, page 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.

Derived terms

Related terms

Antonyms

Translations

Noun

possible ‎(plural possibles)

  1. A possible one.
  2. (colloquial, rare) A possible choice, notably someone being considered for a position.
    Jones is a possible for the new opening in sales.
  3. (rare) A particular event that may happen.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: sense · ten · beautiful · #419: possible · mark · followed · fear

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin possibilis.

Adjective

possible m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural possibles)

  1. possible

Antonyms

Derived terms

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɔ.sibl/

Adjective

possible m, f ‎(plural possibles)

  1. possible

Related terms

Noun

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

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin possibilis ‎(“possible”), from Latin posse ‎(“to be able”); see power.

Pronunciation

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