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

Jetter said during the rescue that the first surviving man was in critical condition, likely suffering from hypothermia and possibly has leg and back injuries. —Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Dec. 2025

Your guests will thank you (and possibly with a dry handshake, at that). —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2025

Local news outlets reported that these storm systems were expected to dump 3 to 5 inches of rain across the Puget Sound region, with some coastal and mountainous areas possibly receiving between 6 and 10 inches. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

Griffin urged the committee to create a work group focusing on vaccine adjuvants and possibly other ingredients. —Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 6 Dec. 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