# possible

Pronunciation: US say "PAH-suh-buhl" /ˈpɑ.sə.bl̩/; UK say "POS-i-buhl" /ˈpɒs.ɪ.bl̩/

## Adjective

1. Able to be done, achieved, or accomplished; feasible.
   - Simple: Able to be done or achieved.
   - _Engineers confirmed that a tunnel straight through the mountain was possible._
   - _With enough funding, the rescue mission became possible within a few weeks._
2. Able to happen, exist, or be true, though not certain.
   - Simple: Might happen, exist, or be true, but is not certain.
   - _A late frost is still possible this far north in April._
   - _The doctors said a full recovery was possible but far from guaranteed._
3. Placed after a superlative, after every or all, or at the close of an as ... as comparison, to stress the greatest degree attainable.
   - Simple: Used after words like best, every or all to mean the most that can be done or had.
   - _Rescue teams made every possible effort to reach the trapped miners._
   - _The storm hit at the worst possible time, just as the boats were leaving the harbor._
4. Under consideration for a role, position, or selection.
   - Simple: Being thought about as a choice, such as for a job or team.
   - _Analysts named her a possible successor to the retiring chairman._
   - _Three players are possible starters for Sunday's match._

## Noun

6. A choice under consideration, especially a person being weighed for a position. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A person or thing being thought about as a choice.
   - _The selectors drew up a short list of possibles for the touring team._
   - _She's regarded as a strong possible for the ambassadorship._

## Noun

5. An event that may happen; a particular potential occurrence. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A thing that could happen but is not certain.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The full extent of what a person is able to do; one's utmost.

## Origin

This word came through Middle English and Old French from Latin possibilis ("possible"), which comes from posse or possum ("to be able"), related to the idea of power. It replaced the older Middle English word acumendlic.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/possible (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).