possibility

American  

[pos-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌpɒs əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

possibilities

1. the state or fact of being possible.

   the possibility of error.

   Synonyms:

   odds, likelihood, prospect, chance

2. something possible.

   He had exhausted every possibility but one.

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possibility British  

/ ˌpɒsɪˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or condition of being possible

2. anything that is possible

3. a competitor, candidate, etc, who has a moderately good chance of winning, being chosen, etc

4. (often plural) a future prospect or potential

   my new house has great possibilities

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Etymology

Origin of possibility

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English possibilite, from Late Latin possibilitās, from Latin possibil(is) possible + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

Industry experts say it’s a possibility, noting that passenger contracts can allow for this very kind of post-booking add-on.

From MarketWatch

In these states, a photon is not simply detected as arriving "early" or "late," but exists as a combination of both possibilities.

From Science Daily

But one of California’s leading political savants, Paul Mitchell, has developed a helpful online tool to suss out the possibilities.

From Los Angeles Times

Pulling away from those possibilities to fight each other was random, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

From BBC

"Small changes in the properties of soft materials over micron distances are finally possible, which will open up all sorts of possibilities," Melosh said.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• action
• circumstance
• hazard
• hope
• incident
• opportunity
• probability
• prospect
• risk