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What is the difference between possible and possibly?

possible | possibly | Derived terms |

Possibly is a derived term of possible.

Possibly is a synonym of possible.



As an adjective possible

is able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.

As a noun possible

is a possible one.

As an adverb possibly is

Indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker.

possible

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • (usually, not comparable) Able but not certain to happen; neither inevitable nor impossible.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=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;
  • (comparable) Capable of being done or achieved; feasible.
  • * {{quote-book, 1901, Louis Freeland Smith, The Public, volume=4, page=438, pageurl=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.30000080738168&page=search;seq=444;view=image;num=438
    • , passage=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.}}
  • * {{quote-news, 1993, September 10, Lee Michael Katz, Expectant Mideast hopes to bear twin peace deals, USA Today, page=2A citation
    • , passage=Peace between Israel and the Arab countries is "more possible than any time before," says ex-Arab League U.N. ambassador Clovis Maskoud. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= A punch in the gut , passage=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.

    • Derived terms

    * as much as possible * ASAP (as soon as possible) * possibly

    Related terms

    * possibility * potent * potential * probable * improbable * incidental * contingent

    Antonyms

    * (able but not certain to happen) certain, inevitable, impossible * (capable of being done) impossible

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • 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

    * possibility * option

    Antonyms

    * impossible * no-go

    Statistics

    *

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    possibly

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (modifying a clause or predicate)
    • Possibly , they will make gains in the midterm elections.
    It was possibly the costliest mistake in the organization's history.
    This rare and possibly unique specimen must be conserved.
  • (modifying a verb)
    • I'm much stronger than you, so you can't possibly win.
    I couldn't possibly be there on time.
    I couldn't possibly cheat on my wife.
    It seems unlikely, but, yes, they could possibly win even now.
    The police don't know him, and the information they have leads them to think he could possibly have murdered his wife.

    Related terms

    * by chance * mayhap * peradventure * perchance * incidentally * contingently

    Synonyms

    * conceivably, maybe, perhaps, potentially

    Antonyms

    * impossibly * inevitably * certainly