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
Mangione’s reasons succinctly reflect a society where consistently reliable healthcare is a virtual impossibility without millions of dollars at your disposal.
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026
But my guess is once she’d set off, once she’d seen the puzzled, uncomfortable faces in front of her, she realised the impossibility of completing what she’d started.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Spaeny: The great thing about this show is that it’s zeroing in on everyday impossibilities of life, the things that should be so simple, but drive us all up the wall.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
As ever, the headline lists of lap times threw up some obvious inconsistencies and impossibilities.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2024
The Los Angeles Times investigation concluded that he did not, based on interviews with more than a dozen former Frito-Lay employees, company records and some glaring inconsistencies — nay, impossibilities — in his story.
From New York Times ● Jun. 9, 2023
But given the scene’s importance and its onstage impossibilities, why adapt it for theater at all?
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2021
He saw the pity in Kenny’s eyes and knew the young man thought grief was making him grasp at impossibilities.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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.
