possible
English
Etymology
2=h₁esPlease see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin possibilis (“possible”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin posse (“to be able”); see power. Displaced Old English mihtlīċ (“possible”), which was cognate with Dutch mogelijk (“possible”) and German möglich (“possible”).
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈpɒsɪbl̩/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 307: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GenAm" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈpɑsəbl̩/
Audio (US): (file) Audio: (file) - Hyphenation: pos‧si‧ble
Adjective
possible (comparative possibler or more possible, superlative possiblest or most possible)
- (usually not comparable) Able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.
- Synonyms: futurable; see also Thesaurus:possible
- Antonyms: certain, inevitable, impossible
- Rain tomorrow is possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.
- It's not just possible, it's probable.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 8, in The Celebrity:
- The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; […] . Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.
- (comparable) Capable of being done or achieved; feasible.
- Synonyms: achievable, doable, viable
- Antonym: impossible
- It's possible for anyone to learn to pay the bagpipes.
- 1901, Louis Freeland Smith, The Public, volume 4, page 438:
- And success in minor degree, in the sense in which he uses the term "success," is only somewhat more possible than success in winning the White House chair.
- Lua error in Module:quote at line 2600: |6= is an alias of |url=; cannot specify a value for both
- 2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72-3:
- Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.
- Being considered, e.g. for a position.
- Jones and Smith are both possible for the opening in sales.
- Apparently valid, likely, plausible.
- Synonyms: likely, plausible
- Antonym: implausible
Derived terms
- as much as possible
- ASAP (“as soon as possible”)
- possibly
Related terms
Translations
able but not certain to happen
|
capable of being done or achieved; feasible
|
being considered, e.g. for a position
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
|
Noun
possible (plural possibles)
- A possible one.
- (colloquial, rare) A possible choice, notably someone being considered for a position.
- Jones is a possible for the new opening in sales.
- (rare) A particular event that may happen.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations
a possible one
|
a possible choice
|
a particular event that may happen
|
Further reading
- “possible”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “possible”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin possibilis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
possible m or f (masculine and feminine plural possibles)
- possible
- Antonym: impossible
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “possible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
French
Etymology
From Latin possibilis.
Pronunciation
Adjective
possible (plural possibles)
Related terms
Noun
possible m (plural possibles)
- The possible, feasible, what can be done, achieved etc.
- J'ai fait mon possible pour votre fils, mais sans discipline, il ne s'efforce pas à plain.
- I've done what I can for your son, but without discipline, he won't put in full effort.
Further reading
- “possible”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English colloquialisms
- English terms with rare senses
- English basic words
- Catalan terms derived from Latin
- Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation
- Catalan lemmas
- Catalan adjectives
- Catalan epicene adjectives
- French terms borrowed from Latin
- French terms derived from Latin
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French adjectives
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French masculine nouns
- French subjunctive-subordinating terms