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

• 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

And one that won’t release air could send you zooming to the surface and possibly to the hospital to be treated for decompression sickness. —Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 5 July 2025

But in the overall U.S. sports media landscape, Sunday’s clash falls well behind the USA-Canada ice hockey clashes earlier this year, next year’s Winter Olympics, and possibly also any major tennis tourmanent final appearances by American singles players. —Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025

The Rotary is now looking at other fundraising options — possibly shorter ones requiring a few hours of commitment — and hopes the art festival could return in the future. —Zoey Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025

Another possible factor was a series of hurricanes that hit Cuba (its only wintering area) in the 1930s, possibly killing a significant portion of the entire population. —arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025

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