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

Rosengren and Kaplan were cleared of any legal wrongdoing, but both of them left their positions amid questions about the propriety of Fed officials possibly using privileged information for financial gain. —Dan Mangan,jeff Cox, CNBC, 15 Nov. 2025

Shoppers can expect higher prices and possibly slimmer selections at their local wine shops, as importers are facing steep tariffs and shopkeepers are dealing with declining demand. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025

Researchers theorize that residents abandoned the city before the quake, with nomadic tribes possibly taking over the ruins afterward. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025

Unsurprisingly, fans hit back at Wen's behavior, accusing Wen of possibly traumatizing Grande and referencing the singer's openness about anxiety and PTSD at large public events following the 2017 bombing attack at her concert in the United Kingdom. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 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