Oxford Essential Dictionary
possible
adjective
able to happen or to be done:
Is it possible to get to Birmingham by train?
I'll phone you as soon as possible.
opposite impossible
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
possible
I. pos‧si‧ble1 S1 W1 /ˈpɒsəbəl, ˈpɒsɪbəl $ ˈpɑː-/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑possibility ≠ ↑impossibility, the impossible, ↑possible; adverb: ↑possibly ≠ ↑impossibly; adjective: ↑possible ≠ ↑impossible]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin possibilis, from posse 'to be able']
1. if something is possible, it can be done or achieved OPP impossible:
Is it possible to get tickets for the game?
It might be possible for the documents to be sent over.
Computer technology makes it possible for many people to work from home.
I want to avoid the rush hour traffic if possible.
I walk or use public transport whenever possible.
We are doing everything possible to track down the killer.
Our staff will help you in every way possible.
Even if it were technically possible, we do not have the money to do it.
She decided to stay as far away from him as was humanly possible.
2. as soon/quickly/much etc as possible as soon, quickly etc as you can:
I need the money as soon as possible.
Sharon always does as little work as possible.
The original features of the house have been preserved as far as possible (=as much as possible).
3. a possible answer, cause etc might be true:
There seem to be only two possible explanations.
the possible causes of a child’s learning difficulties
it is possible (that)
It’s possible that the letter got lost in the post.
4. a possible event or thing might happen or exist:
Heavy rain is possible later in the day.
the possible effect on the health of local people
You need to look at the possible consequences of your actions.
In Hollywood, anything is possible (=anything can happen, even though it may seem very unlikely).
5. the best/biggest/fastest etc possible the best etc that can exist or be achieved:
Try to get the best possible price.
What is the worst possible thing that could happen?
6. would it be possible (for somebody) to do something? spoken used when asking politely if you can do or have something:
Would it be possible to speak to Oliver?
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ phrases
▪ it is possible to do something From the hilltop it was possible to see the sea.
▪ make it possible to do something Medical advances have made it possible to keep more patients alive.
▪ if possible (also if at all possible) If possible, take light exercise first thing in the morning.
▪ where/wherever/whenever possible Choose wholemeal varieties of flour and pasta, where possible.
▪ do everything possible We must do everything possible to limit our impact on the earth's environment.
▪ in every way possible The company helped promote the scheme in every way possible.
■ adverbs
▪ perfectly/quite possible (=definitely possible) Combining a family with a career is perfectly possible .
▪ theoretically possible (=possible in theory, but difficult and unlikely) It is theoretically possible for all students to get full marks.
▪ technically possible (=possible with the technology available) Amendments to software may be technically possible, but are inadvisable.
▪ humanly possible (=possible for anyone) It is not humanly possible to work for more than fifteen hours a day.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ possible if something is possible, it can be done or achieved: I think it’s possible that we could win the race. | I want to get back by 5 o'clock if possible. | Please let me know your answer as soon as possible.
▪ feasible if an idea or plan is feasible, it is possible and you can find a practical way of doing it: We need to find out first if the idea is technically feasible. | It is not feasible to have security cameras in every part of the building. | Da Silva considered it feasible that uranium could be produced on an industrial scale.
▪ viable possible and likely to be successful, and therefore worth doing: Nuclear energy is the only viable alternative to coal or gas. | The product needs to be commercially viable. | We have yet to find a viable solution to the problem. | The company was no longer financially viable (=it could not make enough money to be able to continue).
▪ workable a workable plan, system, or solution is one that can be done or used: By early morning, they had arrived at a workable and safe solution. | The company would have a tough job convincing people that the deal was workable.
▪ doable informal if something is doable, you have enough money, energy, or skill to do it: This exercise programme is doable for most people. | Do you think the walk is doable? | Hosting great parties is fun, easy, and doable on any budget. | The book is full of interesting and doable recipes.
▪ achievable (also attainable formal) able to be achieved: A 15% cut in carbon emissions is achievable. | Perfect democracy is not attainable, nor is perfect freedom or perfect justice.
▪ realistic if something is realistic, it seems sensible to think that it can be done or achieved: a realistic target | Their expectations didn’t seem very realistic. | It is important to set yourself realistic goals.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
possible
pos·sible [possible possibles] adjective, noun [ˈpɒsəbl] [ˈpɑːsəbl]
adjective
1. not usually before noun that can be done or achieved
• It is possible to get there by bus.
• Would it be possible for me to leave a message for her?
• This wouldn't have been possible without you.
• Try to avoid losing your temper if at all possible (= if you can).
• Use public transport whenever possible (= when you can).
• It's just not physically possible to finish all this by the end of the week.
• We spent every possible moment on the beach.
• The doctors did all that was humanly possible to save him.
• Expansion was made possible by the investment of government money.
Opp: impossible
2. that might exist or happen but is not certain to
• a possible future president
• the possible side effects of the drug
• Frost is possible, although unlikely, at this time of year.
• It's just possible that I gave them the wrong directions.
• With the possible exception of the Beatles, no other band has become so successful so quickly.
• ‘Do you think he'll resign?’ ‘Anything's possible where he's concerned.’
• ‘You might be wrong, of course!’ ‘It's possible, but I doubt it.’
3. reasonable or acceptable in a particular situation
• There are several possible explanations.
• Please suggest possible ways in which you would improve the existing program.
4. used after adjectives to emphasize that sth is the best, worst, etc. of its type
• It was the best possible surprise anyone could have given me.
• Don't leave your packing until the last possible moment.
more at the best of both/all possible worlds at world, the worst of all (possible) worlds at worst n.
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin possibilis, from posse ‘be able’.
Thesaurus:
possible adj.
1.
• Use public transport whenever possible.
practical • • feasible • • realistic • • workable • • achievable • |especially business viable •
Opp: impossible
be possible/feasible/realistic to do sth
a practical/feasible/realistic/workable/viable solution/policy/plan
perfectly possible/practical/feasible/viable
2.
• She is a possible future president.
potential • • likely • • prospective • |especially written probable •
possible/likely/probable that…
a possible/potential/likely/prospective/probable site
a possible/potential/likely/probable cause/effect/consequence/outcome
3.
• There are several possible explanations.
plausible • • credible • • conceivable • • imaginable • • believable •
Opp: impossible
possible/plausible/credible/conceivable/imaginable/believable that …
possible/plausible/credible/believable explanation/excuse
sound possible/plausible/credible/believable
barely/hardly/scarcely possible/credible/conceivable/imaginable/believable
Language Bank:
perhaps
Making an opinion sound less definite
▪ Most cybercrime involves traditional crimes, such as theft and fraud, being committed in new ways. Phishing is perhaps ▪ / possibly ▪ / probably ▪ the best-known example of this.
▪ It seems ▪ / appears ▪ that the more personal data which organizations collect, the more opportunity there is for this data to be lost or stolen.
It seems clear that ▪ introducing national ID cards would do little to prevent identity theft.
It could be argued that ▪ the introduction of national ID cards might actually make identity theft easier.
It is possible that ▪ / It may be that ▪ the only way to protect ourselves against DNA identity theft is to avoid the creation of national DNA databases.
Language Banks at impersonal, opinion
Example Bank:
• I'd like the money back by next week if possible.
• In those circumstances, I thought it possible to work with him.
• It is just possible that he's still here.
• It's theoretically possible but highly unlikely ever to happen.
• New technology has made it possible to communicate more easily.
• Please come as soon as possible.
• She did as much as possible to help him.
• ‘Do you think he'll resign?’ ‘Anything's possible where he's concerned.’
• ‘You might be wrong, of course!’ ‘It's possible, but I doubt it.’
• Do everything possible to get it finished on time.
• He explained the possible side effects of the drug.
• It is possible to get there by bus.
• It's just not physically possible to finish all this by the end of the week.
• It's just possible that I gave them the wrong directions.
• It's scarcely possible that he knew nothing about it.
• She's perfectly possible as our main speaker.
• They spoke of her as a possible future president.
• This would not have been possible without you.
• Travel by bus whenever possible.
• Try to avoid losing your temper if (at all) possible.
• What are the possible interpretations of this message?
• What possible reason can you have for stopping me going?
• Would it be possible for me to leave a message for her?
Idiom: as quickly/much/soon as possible
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
possible / ˈpɒs.ə.bl̩ / / ˈpɑː.sə- / adjective (CAN ACHIEVE)
A1 able to be done or achieved, or able to exist:
I can't get it all done by Friday - it's just not possible.
Is it possible to buy tickets in advance?
They got as far as was humanly possible (= as far as anyone could have) before turning back.
→ Opposite impossible
as much, quickly, soon, etc. as possible A2 as much, quickly, soon, etc. as something can happen or be done:
Please take your seats as quickly as possible.
I'll go as soon as possible.
possible / ˈpɒs.ə.bl̩ / / ˈpɑː.sə- / adjective [ + (that) ] (NOT CERTAIN)
B1 that might or might not happen:
It 's possible (that) Mira might turn up tonight.
"Do you think he'll end up in prison?" "It's very possible."
That's one possible solution to the problem.
→ Compare probable
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
possible
[pɒ̱sɪb(ə)l]
♦
possibles
1) ADJ: usu v-link ADJ, oft it v-link ADJ to-inf If it is possible to do something, it can be done.
If it is possible to find out where your brother is, we shall...
Everything is possible if we want it enough...
This morning he had tried every way possible to contact her...
Live as you like, leave home if you want - that was never possible when I was young...
It's been a beautiful evening and you have made it all possible.
2) ADJ: usu ADJ n A possible event is one that might happen.
He referred the matter to the Attorney General for possible action against several newspapers...
Her family is discussing a possible move to America...
One possible solution, if all else fails, is to take legal action...
Department officials have warned of possible terrorist attacks.
Syn:
likely
Ant:
unlikely
3) ADJ-GRADED: v-link ADJ, oft it v-link ADJ that (vagueness) If you say that it is possible that something is true or correct, you mean that although you do not know whether it is true or correct, you accept that it might be.
It is possible that there's an explanation for all this...
It was possible that Harry himself did not know what he had intended to do.
Syn:
conceivable
Ant:
unlikely
4) ADJ: as adv/pron as ADJ If you do something as soon as possible, you do it as soon as you can. If you get as much as possible of something, you get as much of it as you can.
Please make your decision as soon as possible...
Mrs. Pollard decided to learn as much as possible about the People's Republic of China...
Michael sat down as far away from her as possible...
Buy fresh produce as often as possible.
5) ADJ: adj-superl ADJ n, adj-superl n ADJ (emphasis) You use possible with superlative adjectives to emphasize that something has more or less of a quality than anything else of its kind.
They have joined the job market at the worst possible time...
We expressed in the clearest possible way our disappointment, hurt and anger...
He is doing the best job possible.
6) ADJ (politeness) You use possible in expressions such as `if possible' and `if at all possible' when stating a wish or intention, to show that although this is what you really want, you may have to accept something different.
I need to see you, right away if possible...
It is wise to get insurance cover for this kind of care, if at all possible.
7) ADJ: ADJ n If you describe someone as, for example, a possible Prime Minister, you mean that they may become Prime Minister.
Government sources are now openly speculating about a possible successor for Dr Lawrence...
Bradley has been considered a possible presidential contender himself.
Syn:
potential
N-COUNT
Possible is also a noun. Kennedy, who divorced wife Joan in 1982, was tipped as a presidential possible... He had been on the Nobel Prize committee's list of possibles.
8) N-SING: the N The possible is everything that can be done in a situation.
He is a democrat with the skill, nerve, and ingenuity to push the limits of the possible.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1pos·si·ble /ˈpɑːsəbəl/ adj [more ~; most ~]
1 not usually used before a noun : able to be done
• It simply isn't possible.
• Would it be possible for me to use your phone? [=may I use your phone?]
• Advances in medicine have made it possible for people to live longer.
• It is possible that she decided not to join us.
• We tried to spend as little money as possible.
• It is not physically possible to do everything you have planned in one day.
• I like to go swimming whenever possible. [=whenever there is an opportunity to swim]
• Do your best to come home from work early, if (at all) possible. [=if it can be done]
• Come as soon/quickly as (humanly) possible. [=as soon as you can]
- opposite impossible
2 : able to happen or exist
• We need to plan against possible dangers. [=dangers that may occur]
• The weather report warned of possible thunderstorms tonight.
• Thunderstorms are possible but not probable tonight.
• The highest possible score is 100.
• How possible [=likely] is rain today?
• What possible good can it do to argue?
• He is in the worst possible situation.
• It is possible that life exists on other planets.
3 always used before a noun : able or suited to be or to become something specified
• I found a possible site for a camp.
• She suggested a possible solution to the problem.
4 : reasonable to believe : perhaps true
• It's possible that your computer has a virus.
• Robbery is one possible motive for the murder.