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:
When quizzed as to whether the whole narrative surrounding the IPO momentum could be lost if cheaper Chinese competition starts to eat into the market share, Ahn is realistic: “That’s a possibility, yes.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
The nurse faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if found guilty.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
In the state of Massachusetts, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life in prison sentence without the possibility of parole.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
The unit was assigned to review the possibility of charges against adults who knowingly allowed their children to ride illegal e-motorcycles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Voight’s paper had stated the possibility, even likelihood, of a landslide.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
The exercise exposes “tremendous possibilities for misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, distortion,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
There is a broad spectrum of possibilities here.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Once you identify your priorities, the top possibilities often reveal themselves.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
According to Gallardo, this discrepancy points toward two dramatically different possibilities.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
There are only cultural choices, from among a bewildering palette of possibilities.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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.
