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
G. B. Shaw
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
Deputies received a call around 5 a.m. from the resident saying that a man was in the backyard and possibly going to break into their home on York Drive near Santa Fe Avenue, sheriff’s Lt. Joseph Jarjura said in a news release.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023
We’re told that Taft is a struggling, possibly dangerous public high school in a struggling, possibly dangerous part of the South Bronx.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
The Bruins were No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, possibly needing only a victory over Miami two weeks later to play Tennessee for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The annual Leonid meteor shower is set to peak early Saturday, offering people the chance to see bright and possibly colorful shooting stars in the predawn hours.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
During a recent appearance on the Today show, the NFL trio discussed their second Christmas installment and Jason even broached the subject of his brother’s new girl, Taylor Swift, possibly getting involved in the future.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
The Pulitzer Prize-winning doctor and researcher explains what the understanding of cells means to the past, present and possibly the future.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
For some people, testosterone therapy—possibly combined with estrogen (for women)—can be a good choice to stave off or reverse bone loss.
—Laurie Saloman, Verywell Health, 14 Nov. 2023
His primary bid against Biden has been criticized by some other Democrats who see it as an unnecessary -- and possibly harmful -- obstacle to preparing to run against Trump.
—Mike Pappano, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2023
See More
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023
We’re told that Taft is a struggling, possibly dangerous public high school in a struggling, possibly dangerous part of the South Bronx.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
The Bruins were No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, possibly needing only a victory over Miami two weeks later to play Tennessee for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
The annual Leonid meteor shower is set to peak early Saturday, offering people the chance to see bright and possibly colorful shooting stars in the predawn hours.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
During a recent appearance on the Today show, the NFL trio discussed their second Christmas installment and Jason even broached the subject of his brother’s new girl, Taylor Swift, possibly getting involved in the future.
—Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
The Pulitzer Prize-winning doctor and researcher explains what the understanding of cells means to the past, present and possibly the future.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023
For some people, testosterone therapy—possibly combined with estrogen (for women)—can be a good choice to stave off or reverse bone loss.
—Laurie Saloman, Verywell Health, 14 Nov. 2023
His primary bid against Biden has been criticized by some other Democrats who see it as an unnecessary -- and possibly harmful -- obstacle to preparing to run against Trump.
—Mike Pappano, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'possibly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of possibly was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing possibly
Dictionary Entries Near possibly
Cite this Entry
“Possibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possibly. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on possibly
Nglish: Translation of possibly for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of possibly for Arabic Speakers
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