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.
Investors should be prepared for the possibility that, like 2025, 2026 is shaping up to be a year of shoppers trading down.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
In January, one trader made headlines for amassing a profit of over $400,000 after succeeding in a handful of bets on the possibility of the U.S. carrying out a military operation in Venezuela.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026
According to Wolf, one possibility is that the slabs retain some "fossil" anisotropy from when they were closer to the surface.
From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026
If there is no agreement on July 1 to renew USMCA, the pact would remain in effect for the next decade, with the possibility of annual reviews.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
I couldn’t even contemplate the possibility that she might have left me behind.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
