possibility
noun
pos·si·bil·i·ty
ˌpä-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 
plural possibilities
1
: the condition or fact of being possible
There is a strong/real/remote/faint possibility that I'll get the job.
—usually used with ofthe possibility of rain today
It is not outside the range/realm of possibility that we'll win.
2
archaic
: one's utmost power, capacity, or ability
3
: something that is possible
Rain is a possibility today.
The future holds untold possibilities.
We exhausted all the possibilities. [=we did everything we could think of]
4
: potential or prospective value
—usually used in plural
the house had great possibilities
Examples of possibility in a Sentence
There is a strong possibility that I will not be chosen for the job.
Have you considered the possibility that you may be wrong?
My first two ideas didn't work, but I thought of a third possibility.
The future holds untold possibilities.
His degree and job experience give him a wide range of possibilities for a career.
a man of undetermined possibilities
The old house might not look like much now, but it has possibilities.
Recent Examples on the Web
During the discussion in February, Ward 2 City Councilmember Melissa Cheatham asked if the former Bluejacket Pool was on the radar for the possibility for the new pool’s location.
—
Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2026
Some version of this happens in all your books—an imagined future opens up new possibilities in the present.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Curry, following his June 9, 2024, arrest, pleaded guilty through the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office to operating while intoxicated after facing the possibility of nine other charges, including resisting arrest and battery to law enforcement, Byrd said.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
And each day, through compassion and care, those moments begin to shift — toward possibility, toward stability, toward hope.
—Marek Kukulka, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possibility
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Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2026
Some version of this happens in all your books—an imagined future opens up new possibilities in the present.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
Curry, following his June 9, 2024, arrest, pleaded guilty through the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office to operating while intoxicated after facing the possibility of nine other charges, including resisting arrest and battery to law enforcement, Byrd said.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
And each day, through compassion and care, those moments begin to shift — toward possibility, toward stability, toward hope.
—Marek Kukulka, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for possibility
Cite this Entry
“Possibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possibility. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
possibility
noun
pos·si·bil·i·ty
ˌpäs-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
plural possibilities
1
: the state or fact of being possible
2
: something possible
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