possibly

adverb

pos·​si·​bly ˈpä-sə-blē 

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 me.

—G. B. Shaw

Synonyms of possibly

• maybe
• perhaps
• probably

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

As the water is warm, these potential pathogens grow and become in higher concentration and can cause more illness and possibly death. — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Twenty-seven states are affected by salmonella, possibly linked to jalapenos, but cilantro, red onion, avocado also listed in the CDC notice. — CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026

Don’t take the chance of returning to the trenches, possibly suffering a catastrophic injury that could potentially put you in a wheelchair for life. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

During this era, large lakes and possibly even oceans are thought to have existed on Mars. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing possibly

• where can (someone) (possibly) be

Rhymes for possibly

• impossibly

Kids Definition

possibly

adverb

pos·​si·​bly ˈpäs-ə-blē 

1

: by possible means : by any possibility

that cannot possibly be true

2

: perhaps

may possibly recover