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

• conceivably
• maybe
• mayhap
• perchance
• perhaps

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

Some of them were armed with guns, carried zip ties and had plans to capture and possibly kill members of Congress. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

The Cavs dealt three firsts, two swaps and an eventual All-Star in Lauri Markkanen just to get Donovan Mitchell and couldn’t possibly feel better about it. —John Hollinger, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025

Positive, everyday actions can make a difference in brain health, even lowering the risk of cognitive decline and possibly Alzheimer’s and dementia. —Kristen Cusato, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2025

From that will come new relationships and possibly new friendships. —Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing possibly

• where can (someone) (possibly) be

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