possiblyadverb
uk/ˈpɒs.ə.bli/us/ˈpɑː.sə.bli/possibly adverb (NOT CERTAIN)
A2 used when something is not certain:
He may possibly decide not to come, in which case there's no problem.
used to agree or disagree when some doubt is involved:
"Do you think this skirt might be too small for her?" "(Very) possibly - she has put on a some weight."
"Will he come?" "Possibly not."
More examples
- I might possibly get the job finished by tomorrow evening, if I have no more interruptions.
- I'd guess that she's in her forties - 45 possibly?
- "Are you going to be at church on Sunday morning?" "Possibly - it depends how late we get back on Saturday."
- There were possibly a hundred people at the meeting - certainly 80.
- I can't understand why he's so bad tempered this week - possibly something at school is upsetting him.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Uncertainty
- be neither fish nor fowl idiom
- circumstantial
- conflicted
- debatable
- definite maybe
- dispute
- joker
- joker in the pack idiom
- kind
- kind of idiom
- kinda
- knife edge
- razor
- shade
- there's no knowing idiom
- touch-and-go
- uncertain
- uncertainty
- unconfirmed
- vague
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Possible and probable
possibly adverb (WITH CAN/COULD)
B2 used with "can" or "could" for emphasis:
He can't possibly have drunk all that on his own!
We did all that we possibly could to persuade her to come.
B1 used in polite requests:
Could I possibly ask you to move your chair a little?
used when politely refusing offers:
"Have another chocolate." "No, really, I couldn't possibly."
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Possible and probable
- (the) chances are idiom
- always
- anything's possible idiom
- arguably
- as never before idiom
- avenue
- course
- lean
- lean towards sth
- liable
- likelihood
- likely
- sporting chance
- stand
- strange
- stranger things have happened idiom
- strong
- ten
- ten to one idiom
- vista
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Polite expressions