noun
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the state or condition of being possible
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anything that is possible
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a competitor, candidate, etc, who has a moderately good chance of winning, being chosen, etc
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(often plural) a future prospect or potential
my new house has great possibilities
Etymology
Origin of possibility
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English possibilite, from Late Latin possibilitās, from Latin possibil(is) possible + -itās -ity
Explanation
If something could realistically happen, it's a possibility. So winning the lottery is a slight possibility, but becoming king of the world is not even a remote possibility. In one sense, a possibility is an option: "One possibility is that the UFO is just a shooting star." It can also mean more of a potential: "This house might look like an abandoned shack, but it's got so much possibility!" All meanings of possibility share the sense that something is able to happen, or is possible. The Latin root is possibilis, "that can be done."
Vocabulary lists containing possibility
"LAFFF"
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President Obama's second inaugural address
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 9
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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.
"There is no possibility of fraud," he said.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
It was Iran’s first indication that it may have mined the waterway after the U.S. warned of the possibility last month.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
The arrangement of burials at the site raises the possibility that Tinshemet Cave served as a dedicated burial area or even an early cemetery.
From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026
"He's covering his tracks so well and, you know, is there a possibility it could be a cop?"
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
“That’s not even the half of it,” I said as my brain raced with horrible possibility after horrible possibility.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
