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
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.
I am intrigued by the possibility of AI democratizing knowledge inside firms, helping workers go beyond their immediate domain of expertise and expand into areas that would otherwise require help from specialists.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Nonetheless, the possibility remains there could still be a massive planet affecting the orbits of bodies within the Kuiper Belt.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
The developers called the possibility of switching sites a “red herring” because it would require them to restart a multi-year entitlement process.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
A squad is due to be named and there is a possibility that Stokes and Atkinson are not in it.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
It was considered too dangerous because of the possibility of the towline becoming tangled in the Hunley’s propeller, or because the “torpedo” could drift and slam into the Hunley instead of the enemy vessel.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
