possibly
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pos·si·bly
(pŏs′ə-blē)adv.
1. Perhaps: He hesitated, possibly remembering his unsuccessful last attempt.
2. Conceivably: Could they possibly be here already?
3. Under any circumstances: I can't possibly do it.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
possibly
(ˈpɒsɪblɪ)sentence substitute, adv
a. perhaps or maybe
b. (as sentence modifier): possibly he'll come.
adv
by any chance; at all: he can't possibly come.
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pos•si•bly
(ˈpɒs ə bli)adv.
1. by merest chance; perhaps; maybe: Possibly he will show up.
2. by any possibility; conceivably: Could you possibly help me?
[1350–1400]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
possible
possibly1. 'possible'
Possible is an adjective. If something is possible, it can be done or achieved.
It is possible for us to measure the amount of rain.
Some improvement may be possible.
Possible is often used in expressions such as as soon as possible and as much as possible. If you do something as soon as possible, you do it as soon as you can.
I like to know as much as possible about my patients.
He sat as far away from me as possible.
Be Careful!
Don't say 'as soon as possibly'.
You also use possible to say that something may be true or correct.
It is possible that he made a mistake.
That's one possible answer.
2. 'possibly'
Possibly is an adverb. You use possibly to show that you are not sure about something.
Television is possibly to blame for this.
She is always cheerful, which is possibly why people like her.
You also use possibly when you are asking someone to do something in a very polite way. For example, you say 'Could you possibly carry this for me?'
Could you possibly meet me there tomorrow at ten?
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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Adv. | 1. | possibly - by chance; "perhaps she will call tomorrow"; "we may possibly run into them at the concert"; "it may peradventure be thought that there never was such a time" |
2. | possibly - to a degree possible of achievement or by possible means; "they can't possibly get here in time for the funeral?" impossibly - to a degree impossible of achievement; "long thought to be an impossibly difficult operation"; "impossibly far from sources of supply" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
possibly
adverb
1. perhaps, maybe, God willing, perchance (archaic), mayhap (archaic), peradventure (archaic), haply (archaic) Exercise may possibly protect against heart attacks.
2. at all, in any way, conceivably, by any means, under any circumstances, by any chance I couldn't possibly answer that.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
رُبَّمارُبَّما، من المُمْكِنمِنَ الـمُمْكِن
možnápodle své možnostisnad
muligvismåske
mahdollisesti
moguće
ha csak egy mód van rálehetõség szerint
mögulega
ことによると
아마도
podľa svojej možnosti
mogoče
möjligtvis
อาจจะ
belkielverdiğincemümkün olduğuncaolasılıkla
có thể
possibly
[ˈpɒsəblɪ] ADV1. (= feasibly, conceivably) if I possibly can → si me es posible, si puedo
I go as often as I possibly can → voy siempre que puedo, voy lo más a menudo posible
how can I possibly come tomorrow? → ¿cómo voy a poder venir mañana?
could you possibly come another day? → ¿le sería posible venir otro día?, ¿podría venir otro día?
I can't possibly eat all this → me es totalmente imposible comer todo esto
I couldn't possibly allow it → de ninguna manera lo voy a permitir
it can't possibly be true! → ¡no puede ser verdad!
she will do everything she possibly can to help you → hará todo lo que esté en su mano or todo lo que pueda para ayudarte
he never does it if he can possibly help it → siempre que puede evitarlo lo evita
I go as often as I possibly can → voy siempre que puedo, voy lo más a menudo posible
how can I possibly come tomorrow? → ¿cómo voy a poder venir mañana?
could you possibly come another day? → ¿le sería posible venir otro día?, ¿podría venir otro día?
I can't possibly eat all this → me es totalmente imposible comer todo esto
I couldn't possibly allow it → de ninguna manera lo voy a permitir
it can't possibly be true! → ¡no puede ser verdad!
she will do everything she possibly can to help you → hará todo lo que esté en su mano or todo lo que pueda para ayudarte
he never does it if he can possibly help it → siempre que puede evitarlo lo evita
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
possibly
[ˈpɒsɪbli] adv (= perhaps) → peut-être
Are you coming to the party? - Possibly → Est-ce que tu viens à la soirée? - Peut-être.
Are you coming to the party? - Possibly → Est-ce que tu viens à la soirée? - Peut-être.
[can, can't] if you possibly can → si cela vous est possible
I can't possibly come → Je ne peux vraiment pas venir.
I can't possibly do that → Je ne peux vraiment pas faire ça.
to do everything one possibly can → faire tout son possible
I can't possibly come → Je ne peux vraiment pas venir.
I can't possibly do that → Je ne peux vraiment pas faire ça.
to do everything one possibly can → faire tout son possible
(= conceivably)
The police? What could they possibly want with me? → La police ? Qu'est-ce qu'ils peuvent bien me vouloir ?
How can they possibly eat that stuff? → Mais comment peuvent-il manger ce truc-là ?
What could this possibly mean? → Qu'est-ce que ça peut bien vouloir dire ?
He couldn't possibly have said that! → Il n'a pas pu dire une chose pareille !
The police? What could they possibly want with me? → La police ? Qu'est-ce qu'ils peuvent bien me vouloir ?
How can they possibly eat that stuff? → Mais comment peuvent-il manger ce truc-là ?
What could this possibly mean? → Qu'est-ce que ça peut bien vouloir dire ?
He couldn't possibly have said that! → Il n'a pas pu dire une chose pareille !
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
possibly
adv
not possibly → unmöglich; I can’t possibly stay indoors all weekend → ich kann unmöglich das ganze Wochenende in der Wohnung sitzen; nobody could possibly tell the difference → es war unmöglich, einen Unterschied zu erkennen; that can’t possibly be true → das kann unmöglich wahr sein; can that possibly be true? → kann das (vielleicht doch) stimmen?; very or quite possibly → absolut or durchaus möglich; how could I possibly have come? → wie hätte ich denn kommen können?; how could he possibly have known that? → wie konnte er das nur wissen?; he did all he possibly could → er tat, was er nur konnte; I have made myself as comfortable as I possibly can → ich habe es mir so bequem wie möglich gemacht; if I possibly can → wenn ich irgend kann; I couldn’t possibly … (polite formula) → ich kann unmöglich …
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
possibly
[ˈpɒsəblɪ] adva. he did all he possibly could → ha fatto tutto il possibile
as often as I possibly can → quanto più spesso posso
how can I possibly? → come posso?
I cannot possibly do it → non posso assolutamente or proprio farlo
could you possibly...? → potresti...?
if you possibly can → se le è possibile
as often as I possibly can → quanto più spesso posso
how can I possibly? → come posso?
I cannot possibly do it → non posso assolutamente or proprio farlo
could you possibly...? → potresti...?
if you possibly can → se le è possibile
b. (perhaps) → forse
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
possible
(ˈposəbl) adjective1. able to happen or be done. It's possible that the train will be delayed; We'll come as soon as possible; I'll do everything possible; She did the only possible thing in the circumstances.
2. satisfactory; acceptable. I've thought of a possible solution to the problem.
ˌpossiˈbility – plural possiˈbilities – noun something that is possible; the state of being possible; (a) likelihood. There isn't much possibility of that happening; There's a possibility of war; The plan has possibilities (= looks as if it may be a good one).
ˈpossibly adverb1. perhaps. `Will you have time to do it?' `Possibly.'
2. in a way or manner that is possible. I'll come as fast as I possibly can; I can't possibly eat any more; Could you possibly lend me your pen?
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
possibly
→ مِنَ الـمُمْكِن možná muligvis möglicherweise πιθανόν posiblemente mahdollisesti éventuellement moguće possibilmente ことによると 아마도 mogelijk muligens prawdopodobnie possivelmente возможно möjligtvis อาจจะ olasılıkla có thể 可能地Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009