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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
That Sybylla does, in fact, resist, choosing independence over love and the possibility of perennial pillow fights, makes “My Brilliant Career” so daring and thrilling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Inertia can prevent you from moving, even if you’re open to that possibility.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
And, with the possibility of high pressure building back in quickly, it may not be long before parts of the UK return to heatwave conditions.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Film producer Scott Glassgold, who hired Henderson for “Tarot,” had talked to him about the possibility of trying to sell Siren Head to Hollywood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
There was no possibility that went invisible would be acceptable.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
"We are exploring possibilities to make minors safer online," a spokesperson said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
The distinction is between today’s economics and tomorrow’s possibilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
They also believe the same principles could be applied to photonic and quantum systems, opening new possibilities for controlling light, processing information, and studying wave behavior inspired by some of the universe's most extreme environments.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
No one captured the intoxicating possibilities of the 1980s better than Tyler.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
To imagine that there were possibilities after Izio and this war, even if they were possibilities I wouldn’t really want.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
