possibly

[ pos-uh-blee ]

/ ˈpɒs ə bli /

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See synonyms for possibly on Thesaurus.com

adverb

perhaps; maybe: It may possibly rain today.

in a possible manner: She has all the money she can possibly use.

by any possibility: Could you possibly check this information for me?

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of possibly

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at possible, -ly

Words nearby possibly

posset, possibilism, possibility, possible, possible world, possibly, possibly extinct, possibly extinct in the wild, possie, POSSLQ, possum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use possibly in a sentence

If, however, you find that you aren’t all that concerned with becoming the biggest you can possibly be, then the resolution of this fight could very well be walking away altogether.
‘How I Built This’ host Guy Raz on insights from some of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs|Rachel King|September 15, 2020|Fortune
“We are at—possibly—the loneliest time in human history,” Chesky declares.
Airbnb CEO: The pandemic will force us to see more of the world, not less|Verne Kopytoff|September 7, 2020|Fortune
One day we were talking how that could possibly happen and how much effort it would take to be a con man and keep all the stories straight.
“People want to believe”: How Love Fraud builds an absorbing docuseries around a romantic con man|Alissa Wilkinson|September 4, 2020|Vox
The positives outweigh the negatives, but you can’t possibly be the first and think that it’s going to go swimmingly for you.
Tan France Goes Deep on Racism and When He Almost Quit ‘Queer Eye’|Eugene Robinson|September 3, 2020|Ozy

It seems like a lot of clients are possibly in some kind of internal fight to get budgets signed off.
‘Seemingly nonstop’: Constant requests to replan and retool campaigns is getting to media buyers|Kristina Monllos|September 2, 2020|Digiday
Meanwhile, in Florida, Bush was flooded with questions about whether gay marriage could possibly come to the Sunshine State.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Who among Scalise's constituents could possibly care if he supported naming a post office for a black judge who died in 1988?
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Within hours, thousands of Iranians challenged the foreign minister on social media asking how that could possibly be.
Behind Bars for the Holidays: 11 Political Prisoners We Want to See Free In 2015|Movements.Org|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hollywood might possibly fear North Korean sleeper cells capable of blowing up theaters that screen anti-Nork films.
Pyongyang Shuffle: Hollywood In Dead Panic Over Sony Hack|James Poulos|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their reward: what is possibly the most infuriating series finale of the new millennium.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Davy walked through the door-way and found himself in the oddest-looking little country place that could possibly be imagined.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
It is probable that Mlle. Mayer came under the influence of Prud'hon as early as 1802, possibly before that time.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Alice Arden, you little dream of the man and the route by which, possibly, deliverance is speeding to you.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Possibly, he would not shy at such monstrosities after twenty miles of a lathering ride.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
He could not possibly doubt or question, and shame flooded him till he felt himself the meanest man alive.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for possibly

possibly

/ (ˈpɒsɪblɪ) /

sentence substitute, adverb

perhaps or maybe
(as sentence modifier)possibly he'll come

adverb

by any chance; at allhe can't possibly come

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

possibly

Origin of possibly

Words nearby possibly

Words related to possibly

How to use possibly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for possibly