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Impossible vs Happen - What's the difference?

impossible | happen |

As nouns the difference between impossible and happen

is that impossible is an impossibility while happen is morsel.

As an adjective impossible

is not possible; not able to be done or happen.

impossible

English

Alternative forms

* inpossible (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Not possible; not able to be done or happen.
  • * 1865 , (Lewis Carroll), (w, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)
    • Nothing is impossible , only impassible.
  • * 13 March 1962 ,
    • Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
    • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible , there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.}}
  • (colloquial, of a person) Very difficult to deal with.
  • (math, dated) imaginary
    • impossible quantities, or imaginary numbers

    Related terms

    * impossibility * impossibly

    Synonyms

    * (l) (rare)

    Antonyms

    * (not able to be done or happen) possible, inevitable

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • an impossibility
  • * Late 14th century': “Madame,” quod he, “this were an '''impossible !” — Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Franklin's Tale’, ''Canterbury Tales

    • Statistics

    * ----

    happen

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To occur or take place.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
    • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic who still resists the idea that something drastic needs to happen for him to turn his life around.}}
  • To occur unexpectedly, by chance or with a low probability.
  • To encounter by chance.
  • * 1860 , , The Marble Faun , ch. 30:
    • Unexpectedly, in a nook close by the farmhouse, he happened upon a spot where the vintage had actually commenced.

    Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

    Derived terms

    * as it happens * happen along * happener * happeningly * it so happens

    Related terms

    * * happenstance

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (obsolete or dialect) maybe, perhaps.
    • English catenative verbs 1000 English basic words ----