possibility

[ pos-uh-bil-i-tee ]

/ ˌpɒs əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR possibility 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.

Nearby words

Origin of possibility

1325–75; Middle English possibilite < Late Latin possibilitās. See possible, -ity

SYNONYMS FOR possibility

1 chance, prospect, likelihood, odds.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR possibility ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for possibility

The possibility that the same outcome could happen another way -- namely a guy asks me out -- keeps me from taking action.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This suggests that places combining—but also maintaining—place and possibility have a lot to offer people.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is a testament to the fundamental human—and American—desire to combine place and possibility.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the way that Texas combines place and possibility will not be appealing to everyone.
Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

According to League, Alamo Drafthouse was actively working with Sony on Monday on the possibility of screening The Interview.
The Inside Story of How Sony’s ‘The Interview’ Finally Made It to Theaters|Marlow Stern|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Can I in her arms conceive the possibility of parting from her?
Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and Travels, Vol. I (of 2)|Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Had they gone off in any other way, there would have been a possibility of tracking them.
The Wild Huntress|Mayne Reid
But a somewhat closer reflection will show that there are at least two points in which a possibility of progress may be admitted.
Studies in Modern Music, Second Series|W. H. Hadow
But I must admit that there is at least a (p. 244) possibility that genera are not changed by environment, time or circumstances.
War Letters of a Public-School Boy|Paul Jones.
It was, in fact, the possibility of such conflict which was recognized by our theory as the origin and foundation of society.
Liberalism|L. T. Hobhouse

British Dictionary definitions for possibility

possibility

/ (ˌpɒsɪˈbɪlɪtɪ) /

noun plural -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 potentialmy 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

Word Origin and History for possibility

possibility

late 14c., "condition of being possible," from Old French possibilité (13c.) and directly from Latin possibilitatem (nom. possibilitas) "possibility," from possibilis (see possible (adj.)). Meaning "a possible thing or substance" is from c.1400. Related: Possibilities.

possibility

noun, plural pos·si·bil·i·ties for 2.

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Nearby words

Origin of possibility

Examples from the Web for possibility

British Dictionary definitions for possibility

possibility

noun plural -ties

Word Origin and History for possibility

possibility