Possibility
/ˌpɒs.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/noun
The state or fact of being possible; something that may happen or exist.
Did you know?Possibility comes through Latin possiblis/possibilis from posse, meaning “to be able,” so the word’s deepest root is about capability, not luck or wishful thinking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*poti-
“master, lord; one who has power”
Latin
Latin
potis
“able, capable”
Late Latin
Latin
possibilis
“possible, able to be done”
Old French
Old French
possibilité
“possibility, capability”
Middle English
English
possibilite
“possibility, that which may be done”
Modern English
English
possibility
“the state or fact of being possible”