possibly

adverb

pos·​si·​bly ˈpä-sə-blē How to pronounce possibly (audio)
1
: in a possible manner : by any possibility
that's all she could possibly do
2
: by merest chance : perhaps
possibly he will recover
3
: it is possible or imaginable : conceivably
a political libel which may possibly damage meG. B. Shaw

Examples of possibly in a Sentence

he may possibly recover after such a serious mistake, but it doesn't seem likely
Recent Examples on the Web Some may look to negotiate their agent’s commission down to 2%, 1% – or possibly less – perhaps in the form of a flat fee. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Hungry readers with a voracious appetite will have a chance beginning Thursday to visit some of Central Indiana's coziest reading spaces, and possibly win a prize or two. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2024 The fear is that their employers might retaliate against them, possibly costing them their jobs. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 And how a civilization calibrated to focus on the near-term could possibly be motivated to address a challenge on that time scale. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 It’s expected to attract suitors across entertainment and tech, possibly as a potential headquarters. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 They are expected to come back to the Rules Committee this spring for another vote, which would be followed by the full council possibly voting in July or August to place the measure on the November ballot. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 Some of the smaller artworks were painted with red pigments, and Macedo thinks these pieces—possibly done by a separate cultural group—may predate the engravings. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024 Boise Police are looking for two outstanding suspects traveling in a grey four-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic with ID plates. S. Dev, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'possibly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of possibly was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near possibly

Cite this Entry

“Possibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possibly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

possibly

adverb
pos·​si·​bly ˈpäs-ə-blē How to pronounce possibly (audio)
1
: by possible means : by any possibility
that cannot possibly be true
2
: perhaps
may possibly recover

More from Merriam-Webster on possibly

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