possibility
Other forms: possibilities
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."
-
capability of existing or happening or being true“there is a possibility that his sense of smell has been impaired”
-
synonyms:
possibleness
-
Antonyms:
-
impossibility, impossibleness
incapability of existing or occurring
-
types:
- show 18 types...
- hide 18 types...
-
conceivability, conceivableness
the state of being conceivable
-
achievability, attainability, attainableness
the state of being achievable
-
potency, potential, potentiality
the inherent capacity for coming into being
-
chance, opportunity
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
-
latency
the state of being not yet evident or active
-
chance, prospect
the possibility of future success
-
brass ring
a rich opportunity or a prize
-
day
a period of opportunity
-
clean slate, fresh start, tabula rasa
an opportunity to start over without prejudice
-
audience, hearing
an opportunity to state your case and be heard
-
hunting ground
a place where opportunities abound
-
occasion
an opportunity to do something
-
opening
opportunity especially for employment or promotion
-
room
opportunity for
-
say
the chance to speak
-
crack, shot
a chance to do something
-
street
a situation offering opportunities
-
throw
a single chance or instance
-
impossibility, impossibleness
-
a future prospect or potential“this room has great possibilities”
-
type of:
-
expectation, outlook, prospect
belief about (or mental picture of) the future
-
expectation, outlook, prospect
-
a possible alternative“bankruptcy is always a possibility”
-
synonyms:
opening, possible action
-
types:
-
possible
something that can be done
-
type of:
-
alternative, choice, option
one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
-
possible
-
a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena
-
synonyms:
hypothesis, theory
-
types:
- show 17 types...
- hide 17 types...
-
hypothetical
a hypothetical possibility, circumstance, statement, proposal, situation, etc.
-
gemmule
the physically discrete element that Darwin proposed as responsible for heredity
-
framework, model, theoretical account
a hypothetical description of a complex entity or process
-
conjecture, speculation
a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)
-
assumption, supposal, supposition
a hypothesis that is taken for granted
-
historicism
a theory that social and cultural events are determined by history
-
computer simulation, simulation
(computer science) the technique of representing the real world by a computer program
-
conclusion
an intuitive assumption
-
base, basis, cornerstone, foundation, fundament, groundwork
the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
-
mean sun
a theoretical sun that moves along the celestial equator at a constant speed and completes its annual course in the same amount of time the real sun takes at variable speeds
-
Copernican system
(astronomy) Copernicus' astronomical model in which the Earth rotates around the sun
-
Ptolemaic system
(astronomy) Ptolemy's model of the universe with the Earth at the center
-
M-theory
(particle physics) a theory that involves an eleven-dimensional universe in which the weak and strong forces and gravity are unified and to which all the string theories belong
-
string theory
(particle physics) a theory that postulates that subatomic particles are one-dimensional strings
-
given, precondition, presumption
an assumption that is taken for granted
-
basic assumption, constatation, self-evident truth
an assumption that is basic to an argument
-
stochastic process
a statistical process involving a number of random variables depending on a variable parameter (which is usually time)
-
type of:
-
concept, conception, construct
an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances
/ˈpɑsəˌbɪlədi/
/pɒsɪˈbɪlɪti/
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing possibility
In this powerful novel-in-verse, a twelve-year-old Sudanese girl must make her way to a refugee camp after her village is attacked.
In this memoir, award-winning author Reyna Grande explores the immigrant experience as she reflects on how a childhood torn between parents and countries made her who she is.
Although he is suffering from amnesia, Jason must embark on a quest with his friends Piper and Leo to rescue the goddess Hera.
Look up possibility for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
