impossibility
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being impossible
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something that is impossible
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of impossibility
1350–1400; Middle English impossibilite < Late Latin impossibilitās. See im- 2, possibility
Explanation
An impossibility is something that can never, ever happen. Eating ice cream without getting a stomach ache afterward is an impossibility for people who are lactose intolerant. You might start to suspect the impossibility of finding an affordable apartment in New York once you start looking for one, or fear the impossibility that you'll ever pass your French class if you struggle with conjugating verbs. When something's impossible, it can't happen or exist, and an impossibility is impossible. Both words come from the Latin impossibilis, "not possible," from the roots im-, "not," and possibilis, "that can be done."
Vocabulary lists containing impossibility
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Then there’s the slow, somber poignancy of Hawk’s final aria, in which he recognizes the impossibility of the relationship, and paves the way to betrayal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
But beyond the material hardships, many describe a similar feeling: the impossibility of unplugging from their problems.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Without equal citizenship, equal voting rights, and equal opportunity to elect representatives of one’s choice, republican government was an impossibility.
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026
Not only are the Lakers facing an historical impossibility — you’ll remember that NBA teams leading three-games-to-none are 161-0 — but they’re already bearing the weight of an historical humiliation.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
That’s what I told myself five hundred times: impossibility.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
As ever, the headline lists of lap times threw up some obvious inconsistencies and impossibilities.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2024
“When people get confronted with impossibilities, they often change their memories to make it make sense,” she added.
From New York Times ● Jun. 10, 2022
But given the scene’s importance and its onstage impossibilities, why adapt it for theater at all?
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2021
A revival of “The Serpent” is close to impossible, but the pursuit of impossibilities can reveal new horizons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2021
If we lift the veil and look underneath...we shall discover much emptiness, darkness, and confusion; nay, if I mistake not, direct impossibilities and contradictions....
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
