See possibly in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":af",
"3": "possible",
"4": "-ly<id:adverbial>",
"text": "+",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish possible\nProto-Indo-European *leyg-der.\nProto-Germanic *līkąder.\nProto-Germanic *-līkaz\nProto-Germanic *-ê\nProto-Germanic *-līkê\nProto-West Germanic *-līkē\nOld English -līċe\nMiddle English -ly\nEnglish -ly\nEnglish possibly\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"like\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*leyg-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*līką\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ê\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkê\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkē\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"gem-pro\", \"2\" : \":der\", \"3\" : \"*līką\", \"id\" : \"-like\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līk\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-līċ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"id\" : \"adverbial\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-ā\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ê\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-e\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"afeq\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-līċe\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ly\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ly\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"possibly\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"possibly\">\nFrom possible + -ly.",
"name": "ety"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish possible\nProto-Indo-European *leyg-der.\nProto-Germanic *līkąder.\nProto-Germanic *-līkaz\nProto-Germanic *-ê\nProto-Germanic *-līkê\nProto-West Germanic *-līkē\nOld English -līċe\nMiddle English -ly\nEnglish -ly\nEnglish possibly\nFrom possible + -ly.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more possibly",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most possibly",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
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"args": {},
"expansion": "possibly (comparative more possibly, superlative most possibly)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
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"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "contingently"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "incidentally"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "impossibly"
},
{
"word": "inevitably"
},
{
"word": "certainly"
},
{
"word": "indubitably"
},
{
"word": "undoubtably"
},
{
"word": "undoubtedly"
},
{
"word": "no doubt"
}
],
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English links with manual fragments",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "76 24",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries referencing missing etymons",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "75 25",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with etymology texts",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "75 25",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with etymology trees",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "75 25",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with etymon",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "58 42",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "84 16",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English hedges",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "65 35",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English positive polarity items",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "64 36",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "80 20",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "70 30",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "63 37",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "66 34",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "81 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with etymology trees",
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "77 23",
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"name": "Terms with Bashkir translations",
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "80 20",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "77 23",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "87 13",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Danish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "78 22",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "78 22",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Esperanto translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "77 23",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "76 24",
"kind": "other",
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
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{
"_dis": "78 22",
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{
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{
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{
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{
"_dis": "80 20",
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{
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"examples": [
{
"text": "Near-synonyms: maybe, perhaps, mayhap, mayhaps, by chance, perchance, peradventure; conceivably"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
0,
8
]
],
"text": "Possibly, they will make gains in the midterm elections.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
7,
15
]
],
"text": "It was possibly the costliest mistake in the organization's history.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
14,
22
]
],
"text": "This rare and possibly unique specimen must be conserved.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
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75,
83
]
],
"ref": "2015, N. K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season, Orbit (2016), page 274:",
"text": "“Well, everything does point to either a major epeirogenic deformation, or possibly just a simple disruption of isostasy throughout the entire plate network.”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
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114,
122
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],
"ref": "2017 November 16, Bret Stephens, “Steve Bannon Is Bad for the Jews”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 10 Jul 2020:",
"text": "That, however, is something the ZOA has seemed unwilling to do, on the theory that Bannon is a self-declared, and possibly even sincere, supporter of the Jewish state.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Perhaps; indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker."
],
"id": "en-possibly-en-adv-T4WMWE0Z",
"links": [
[
"Perhaps",
"perhaps#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(modifying a clause or predicate) Perhaps; indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modifying a clause or predicate"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "potentially"
},
{
"word": "maybe"
},
{
"word": "perhaps"
},
{
"word": "mayhap"
},
{
"word": "mayhaps"
},
{
"word": "by chance"
},
{
"word": "perchance"
},
{
"word": "peradventure"
},
{
"word": "conceivably"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "79 21",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "misschien"
},
{
"_dis1": "79 21",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "ehkä"
},
{
"_dis1": "79 21",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "mahdollisesti"
},
{
"_dis1": "79 21",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "buenamente"
}
]
},
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"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
41,
49
]
],
"text": "I'm much stronger than you, so you can't possibly win.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
11,
19
]
],
"text": "I couldn't possibly be there on time.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
11,
19
]
],
"text": "I couldn't possibly cheat on my wife.",
"type": "example"
},
{
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[
40,
48
]
],
"text": "It seems unlikely, but, yes, they could possibly win even now.",
"type": "example"
},
{
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[
86,
94
]
],
"text": "The police don't know him, and the information they have leads them to think he could possibly have murdered his wife.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"In the realm of possibility; indicates that the action may successfully be performed (is not impossible) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker that might limit the performance."
],
"id": "en-possibly-en-adv-opxyt4po",
"links": [
[
"possibility",
"possibility"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(modifying a verb) In the realm of possibility; indicates that the action may successfully be performed (is not impossible) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker that might limit the performance."
],
"raw_tags": [
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],
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{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "ba",
"lang": "Bashkir",
"lang_code": "ba",
"roman": "bälkiy",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "бәлки"
},
{
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"code": "ba",
"lang": "Bashkir",
"lang_code": "ba",
"roman": "ixtimal",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "ихтимал"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "văzmožno",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "възможно"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"lang_code": "ca",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "possiblement"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "muligvis"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"tags": [
"negative",
"participle",
"past"
],
"word": "umuligt"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "mogelijk"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"lang_code": "eo",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "eble"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "mahdollisesti"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"tags": [
"with-negation"
],
"word": "mitenkään"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"lang_code": "fr",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "possiblement"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "vielleicht"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "eventuell"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "möglicherweise"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"tags": [
"negative",
"participle",
"past"
],
"word": "unmöglich"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"lang_code": "id",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "mungkin saja"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"lang_code": "la",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "fortasse"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"lang_code": "la",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "fortassis"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "possivelmente"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "posiblemente"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"note": "in negation",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "para nada"
},
{
"_dis1": "35 65",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "buenamente"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ɪ.bli/",
"tags": [
"Northern-England"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑ.sɪ.bli/",
"note": "of Canada",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑ.sə.bli/",
"note": "of Canada",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-possibly.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b3/En-us-possibly.ogg/En-us-possibly.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/En-us-possibly.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/",
"note": "of the US",
"tags": [
"Canada",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɔs.ə.bli/",
"tags": [
"Australia"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/",
"tags": [
"New-Zealand"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ɪ.bli/",
"tags": [
"General-South-African"
]
}
],
"word": "possibly"
}
{
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"English entries referencing missing etymons",
"English entries with etymology texts",
"English entries with etymology trees",
"English entries with etymon",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English hedges",
"English lemmas",
"English modal adverbs",
"English positive polarity items",
"English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *leyg- (like)",
"English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages using etymon with no ID",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Pages with etymology trees",
"Pages with etymon",
"Requests for review of French translations",
"Requests for review of Swedish translations",
"Terms with Bashkir translations",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Catalan translations",
"Terms with Danish translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Esperanto translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Indonesian translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Latin translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Swedish translations"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":af",
"3": "possible",
"4": "-ly<id:adverbial>",
"text": "+",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish possible\nProto-Indo-European *leyg-der.\nProto-Germanic *līkąder.\nProto-Germanic *-līkaz\nProto-Germanic *-ê\nProto-Germanic *-līkê\nProto-West Germanic *-līkē\nOld English -līċe\nMiddle English -ly\nEnglish -ly\nEnglish possibly\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"like\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*leyg-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*līką\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ê\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkê\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkē\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"gem-pro\", \"2\" : \":der\", \"3\" : \"*līką\", \"id\" : \"-like\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līk\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-līċ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"id\" : \"adverbial\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-ā\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ê\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-e\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"afeq\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-līċe\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ly\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ly\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"possibly\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"possibly\">\nFrom possible + -ly.",
"name": "ety"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish possible\nProto-Indo-European *leyg-der.\nProto-Germanic *līkąder.\nProto-Germanic *-līkaz\nProto-Germanic *-ê\nProto-Germanic *-līkê\nProto-West Germanic *-līkē\nOld English -līċe\nMiddle English -ly\nEnglish -ly\nEnglish possibly\nFrom possible + -ly.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more possibly",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most possibly",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "possibly (comparative more possibly, superlative most possibly)",
"name": "en-adv"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adv",
"related": [
{
"word": "contingently"
},
{
"word": "incidentally"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "impossibly"
},
{
"word": "inevitably"
},
{
"word": "certainly"
},
{
"word": "indubitably"
},
{
"word": "undoubtably"
},
{
"word": "undoubtedly"
},
{
"word": "no doubt"
}
],
"categories": [
"English links with manual fragments",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Near-synonyms: maybe, perhaps, mayhap, mayhaps, by chance, perchance, peradventure; conceivably"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
0,
8
]
],
"text": "Possibly, they will make gains in the midterm elections.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
7,
15
]
],
"text": "It was possibly the costliest mistake in the organization's history.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
14,
22
]
],
"text": "This rare and possibly unique specimen must be conserved.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
75,
83
]
],
"ref": "2015, N. K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season, Orbit (2016), page 274:",
"text": "“Well, everything does point to either a major epeirogenic deformation, or possibly just a simple disruption of isostasy throughout the entire plate network.”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
114,
122
]
],
"ref": "2017 November 16, Bret Stephens, “Steve Bannon Is Bad for the Jews”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 10 Jul 2020:",
"text": "That, however, is something the ZOA has seemed unwilling to do, on the theory that Bannon is a self-declared, and possibly even sincere, supporter of the Jewish state.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Perhaps; indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker."
],
"links": [
[
"Perhaps",
"perhaps#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(modifying a clause or predicate) Perhaps; indicates that the proposition may be true (is not certainly false) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modifying a clause or predicate"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "potentially"
},
{
"word": "maybe"
},
{
"word": "perhaps"
},
{
"word": "mayhap"
},
{
"word": "mayhaps"
},
{
"word": "by chance"
},
{
"word": "perchance"
},
{
"word": "peradventure"
},
{
"word": "conceivably"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
41,
49
]
],
"text": "I'm much stronger than you, so you can't possibly win.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
11,
19
]
],
"text": "I couldn't possibly be there on time.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
11,
19
]
],
"text": "I couldn't possibly cheat on my wife.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
40,
48
]
],
"text": "It seems unlikely, but, yes, they could possibly win even now.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
86,
94
]
],
"text": "The police don't know him, and the information they have leads them to think he could possibly have murdered his wife.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"In the realm of possibility; indicates that the action may successfully be performed (is not impossible) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker that might limit the performance."
],
"links": [
[
"possibility",
"possibility"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(modifying a verb) In the realm of possibility; indicates that the action may successfully be performed (is not impossible) regardless of any facts or circumstances known to, stated by or implied by the speaker that might limit the performance."
],
"raw_tags": [
"modifying a verb"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ɪ.bli/",
"tags": [
"Northern-England"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑ.sɪ.bli/",
"note": "of Canada",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɑ.sə.bli/",
"note": "of Canada",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-possibly.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b3/En-us-possibly.ogg/En-us-possibly.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/En-us-possibly.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/",
"note": "of the US",
"tags": [
"Canada",
"dialectal"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɔs.ə.bli/",
"tags": [
"Australia"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/",
"tags": [
"New-Zealand"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈpɒs.ɪ.bli/",
"tags": [
"General-South-African"
]
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "misschien"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "ehkä"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "mahdollisesti"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "adverb indicating that a proposition may be true or false",
"word": "buenamente"
},
{
"code": "ba",
"lang": "Bashkir",
"lang_code": "ba",
"roman": "bälkiy",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "бәлки"
},
{
"code": "ba",
"lang": "Bashkir",
"lang_code": "ba",
"roman": "ixtimal",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "ихтимал"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "văzmožno",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "възможно"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"lang_code": "ca",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "possiblement"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "muligvis"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"tags": [
"negative",
"participle",
"past"
],
"word": "umuligt"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "mogelijk"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"lang_code": "eo",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "eble"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "mahdollisesti"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"tags": [
"with-negation"
],
"word": "mitenkään"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"lang_code": "fr",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "possiblement"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "vielleicht"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "eventuell"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "möglicherweise"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"tags": [
"negative",
"participle",
"past"
],
"word": "unmöglich"
},
{
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"lang_code": "id",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "mungkin saja"
},
{
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"lang_code": "la",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "fortasse"
},
{
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"lang_code": "la",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "fortassis"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "possivelmente"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "posiblemente"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"note": "in negation",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "para nada"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "adverb indicating that an action may successfully be performed",
"word": "buenamente"
}
],
"word": "possibly"
}
Download raw JSONL data for possibly meaning in English (13.7kB)
{
"called_from": "page/2530",
"msg": "skipping string in the middle of translations: </table></div></div>\n\n",
"path": [
"possibly"
],
"section": "English",
"subsection": "adverb",
"title": "possibly",
"trace": ""
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.