Possibly

How to spell possibly

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce possibly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does possibly mean?

1. adverbPerhaps; used to indicate that something may be true or may happen but is not certain.

Possibly in a sentence

• The meeting could possibly run past five o'clock.

• She will possibly join us for dinner if her train is on time.

Where does possibly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb posse, meaning 'to be able', which gave rise to the adjective possibilis, 'that which can be done'. Latin posse was itself a contraction of potis esse, literally 'to be capable', and the same root sits inside our words 'power', 'potent', and 'possess'. English took 'possible' through Old French in the 1300s, and the adverb 'possibly' was formed on home soil by adding the native English ending -ly. The spelling trap lies in the middle: the doubled s of 'possible' carries straight through, and the -ible ending (not -able) reflects the Latin -ibilis. Because the second i is an unstressed schwa, many writers hesitate over whether it should be an a, so remembering the parent 'possible' keeps the ending steady.

How the word is built

• poss- (from posse: to be able)
• -ible (capable of)
• -ly (adverb suffix)