possibility
pos·si·bi·lity
noun
capability of existing or happening or being true
- “there is a possibility that his sense of smell has been impaired”
a tentative theory about the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena
- “a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory”
- “he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices”
Origin
From Middle English possibilite, from Middle French possibilité (from Old French possibilite) and directly from Late Latin possibilitās (“possibility”), from Latin possibilis (“possible”); see possible. By surface analysis, possible + -ity.
Phrases
- logical possibility
- possibility of reverter
- possibility theory
- production possibility curve
Related words
Word family
Broader terms
Parts
WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.