possibility

[ pos-uh-bil-i-tee ]

See synonyms for: possibility possibilities on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural pos·si·bil·i·ties for 2.

the state or fact of being possible: the possibility of error.
something possible: He had exhausted every possibility but one.

Origin of possibility

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English possibilite, from Late Latin possibilitās, from Latin possibil(is) possible + -itās -ity

Other words for possibility

1	chance, prospect, likelihood, odds

See synonyms for possibility on Thesaurus.com

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use possibility in a sentence

Mr. Bachner stayed because he realized the city is filled with artisans and the possibilities fascinated him.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech | Liza Foreman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Texas offers not just place to its actual or potential new residents, but professional possibilities.
Will Texas Stay Texan? | David Fontana | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Parker left the place that he knew for the possibilities that he would not have had in the Texas of a generation ago.
Will Texas Stay Texan? | David Fontana | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The possibilities seem endless: Who needs a trip to the liquor store when the toddler can turn water into wine, amirite?
Was Baby Jesus A Holy Terror? | Candida Moss | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Yet the entire ordeal opened up so many new possibilities, both for Dr. Grenci and those who followed her case.
Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix | Justin Jones | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

The possibilities of certain branches of teaching have been altogether revolutionized by the cinematograph.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
I admitted every one of these possibilities but said, every time, that taken together, they destroyed one another.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamilton
Though Caroline only brought with her a dot of forty thousand francs, she stood for what was better still, immense possibilities.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
No one could appreciate better than ourselves the unpleasant possibilities that stared us in the face.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
The latter are of particular interest, as their possibilities are in process of development.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing Miller

British Dictionary definitions for possibility

possibility

/ (ˌpɒsɪˈbɪlɪtɪ) /

nounplural -ties

the state or condition of being possible
anything that is possible

a competitor, candidate, etc, who has a moderately good chance of winning, being chosen, etc
(often plural) a future prospect or potential: my new house has great possibilities

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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