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

Naval Combat Demolition Units and others are the predecessors of the Navy SEALs, possibly best known for the mission in 2011 that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026

With cases moving through three different appellate circuits, the question looks headed for a higher court—possibly the Supreme Court—even as the fee is set to expire on its own in September 2026. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 10 June 2026

Two of those victims were discovered decades ago, and investigators are examining other cases possibly linked to the defendant, Dwight Rhone, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. —Andrew Blankstein, NBC news, 10 June 2026

Their country has lost at least 1 million jobs—possibly 2 million—since the war began. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 10 June 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