"could've" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "could",
        "3": "'ve"
      },
      "expansion": "could + -'ve",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "could + -'ve",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "verb form"
      },
      "expansion": "could've",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "could have"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -'ve",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We could've missed the bus, but we just caught it."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Contraction of could have."
      ],
      "id": "en-could've-en-verb-xlT8ok52",
      "links": [
        [
          "could",
          "could#English"
        ],
        [
          "have",
          "have#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "coulda"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "contraction"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkʊdəv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkʊdə/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʊdəv"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-could've.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/72/En-us-could%27ve.ogg/En-us-could%27ve.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/En-us-could%27ve.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "could've"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "could",
        "3": "'ve"
      },
      "expansion": "could + -'ve",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "could + -'ve",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "verb form"
      },
      "expansion": "could've",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "could have"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English 2-syllable words",
        "English auxiliary verb forms",
        "English contractions",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English non-lemma forms",
        "English terms suffixed with -'ve",
        "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English verb forms",
        "Rhymes:English/ʊdəv",
        "Rhymes:English/ʊdəv/2 syllables"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We could've missed the bus, but we just caught it."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Contraction of could have."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "could",
          "could#English"
        ],
        [
          "have",
          "have#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "contraction"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkʊdəv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkʊdə/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʊdəv"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-could've.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/72/En-us-could%27ve.ogg/En-us-could%27ve.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/En-us-could%27ve.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "coulda"
    }
  ],
  "word": "could've"
}