POSSIBILITY


Meaning of POSSIBILITY in English

noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a chance/hope/possibility of escape

The river offered our only hope of escape.

alert to the possibility

The authorities should have been alert to the possibility of invasion.

an exciting possibility

Penny allowed herself to consider the exciting possibility that Jack might be at the party.

an unlikely possibility/prospect

The most unlikely possibility was that she might resign.

be within/beyond the bounds of possibility (= be possible/not possible )

It was not beyond the bounds of possibility that they could meet again.

consider the possibility of (doing) sth

Have you considered the possibility of retraining?

discounted the possibility of

General Hausken had not discounted the possibility of an aerial attack.

discuss a possibility

Government officials were seriously discussing the possibility of war.

dismiss a possibility

The Prime Minister dismissed the possibility of an early election.

eliminate a need/possibility/risk/problem etc

The credit card eliminates the need for cash or cheques.

There is no solution that will totally eliminate the possibility of theft.

exclude the possibility

At this stage we cannot entirely exclude the possibility of staff cuts.

exhausted...possibilities

Having exhausted all other possibilities , I asked Jan to look after the baby.

explore the possibility of

I’m going to explore the possibility of a part-time job.

lessen the risk/chance/possibility etc (of sth)

Exercise lessens the risk of heart disease.

offer an opportunity/chance/possibility

The course offers the opportunity to specialize in the final year.

possibilities...endless

The possibilities are endless .

remote chance/possibility

There’s a remote chance that you can catch him before he leaves.

rule out the possibility

She has refused to rule out the possibility of singing again.

the risk/possibility of failure

The risk of failure for a new product is very high.

The possibility of failure was sufficiently high for the auditors to warn investors.

There is a distinct possibility that

There is a distinct possibility that this will eventually be needed.

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADJECTIVE

distinct

Further revaluations remain a distinct possibility , despite a slight weakening of Sterling.

Diversification was still a distinct possibility , but there seemed to be more enthusiasm for concentrating on the propane market.

And Juliet's theory was growing into a distinct possibility .

He said there is a distinct possibility the Coyotes will use the ice at Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season.

To Gould, though, Lear's enterprise had distinct possibilities .

The Riemann sphere still describes the array of physically distinct possibilities , but now only abstractly.

If it goes on for another 2 weeks, that is a distinct possibility .

And there is a distinct possibility that the tax break might go primarily to people already giving.

new

In the meantime, new issues were dominating the international agenda, with new possibilities for cooperation between and beyond governments.

But soon they will be interactive, offering intriguing new possibilities .

Accidents still occur, and indeed, are furthered by those investigating new possibilities .

Suddenly new possibilities are springing to life where previously deadlock and despair held sway.

Liquid acrylics can open up a whole new world of possibilities .

It is this shift in perspective that is creating a wealth of new possibilities .

With training and new work possibilities , I believe we will gradually be able to improve their situation.

If you can solve them, an avalanche of new possibilities is set in motion.

other

Until this very instant, no other possibility has occurred to her.

The statistic most often used to measure within-group variability is the standard deviation, although there are other possibilities .

If no ECMs existed what other possibilities would be available?

The laser cannon had stopped firing. Other possibilities occurred to her.

But Famlio didn't take long to see other possibilities , in the established traditional of what is ironically known as protection.

Early weaning is only recommended if the baby is suffering quite badly and you have exhausted all other possibilities .

There were other possibilities but for the moment these seemed the most plausible.

However, there are other possibilities .

real

And of course none of us were particularly exercised about death as a real possibility .

Now the Raiders face the very real possibility of unraveling.

But the existence of the railways made continued suburban development a real possibility .

With Bobbie, unsound judgments were not a real possibility .

Mutual respect is a real possibility in such activities.

With all this brass flying overhead, conflicting orders were a real possibility .

More recently, the threat of Quebec's secession confronted the country with the very real possibility of political breakup.

Start looking It's much easier to check out real career change possibilities that are available locally first.

remote

It had been a remote possibility , but it had existed.

But that remote possibility , he knew, had already been examined and dismissed.

On the other hand, there is just the remote possibility that some one will invent it tomorrow.

Where this situation is a remote but real possibility escape or rescue sets should be stored for emergency use.

The pipeline is no longer a remote possibility .

strong

Great success at the Bar leads to a very considerable income and the strong possibility of a judgeship.

Finally, there is the strong possibility that a contagion effect will operate in this setting.

There is a strong possibility , however, that phantom pregnancies will recur at successive heats.

There had been a strong possibility that the Newleys would have turned the security locks as well.

I just say it is a strong possibility .

There is also the strong possibility that family loyalty will prevail despite the abuse.

It is certainly a possibility for many foreign quasi-governmental agencies, and it is an even stronger possibility for corporates.

There is a strong possibility that trustees-guardians of individual savers' interests-will be required to bear more responsibility.

■ VERB

allow

Thus all references to sets of conditions are to be understood as allowing for the possibility of one-member sets.

Separation from the Goddess allows the possibility of immortal perfection.

Government jobs and the opportunities which association with the government gives allow them the possibility of accumulating material goods.

In this sense, the ideology allows for the possibility of an implicit, internalized dialectic.

It would be unwise to allow even the possibility of criticism on a matter as important as adjudication.

But having allowed these possibilities , Adorno does not accept the implications of his own gesture.

Both allow for the possibility that speculators might be risk-averse.

consider

This becomes clear when we consider the various extreme possibilities .

Yet he must consider that possibility , for if it was true, he was in terrible danger.

It is therefore important to consider the possibility of poor estimating when examining a claim.

She does not seem to consider the possibility that they were not intended for burial at all.

Their acquisition takes time, problems arise, children become puzzled, and they have to consider possibilities and alternatives.

Manshin Anjima wrapped her braid slowly around her head and seemed to consider the possibility .

She must have been mad to consider the possibility , especially after the emotional battering she had received from Giles.

Now we would like to consider the possibility that some athletes literally suspend themselves in midair.

discount

Does the Minister discount that possibility ?

Thompson discounted the possibility that Dole would give him the nod.

We can discount the possibility that Fermat was lying: this was a personal note, for him alone to read.

Nor can we discount the possibility that some factor in the diet itself has harmful effects.

discuss

In this section, however, I want to discuss the rather different possibility that some changes are essentially random.

We discussed the possibility of getting together again.

You should only consider it at all if you believe your marriage can continue. Discuss the possibilities in full with your solicitor.

He or she can discuss the possibilities and may have some good reasons for steering your child in a particular direction.

Manager Coyle, understandably, refuses to discuss the possibility of a double triumph.

But I held my temper, and asked if they could perhaps meet to discuss the possibility .

It was now D-Day+33 as we discussed the possibility of an advance by the Brigade from these positions along the ridge.

On Friday, the two presidents discussed the possibility of joint ventures to look for more energy resources within their borders.

eliminate

This eliminates the possibility of the wrong person being updated, and enables the operator to see if any details are incorrect.

More important, no changes are made in the system to eliminate the possibility of another pilot making the same error.

The bi-word filter eliminated some possibilities but was not good enough to find a single interpretation.

It eliminates all possibilities of revolts and ensures absolute obedience in everything.

On visits to both bureaux, we felt that their working practices eliminate any reasonable possibility of this happening.

That the practice of spiritual marriages can not with any certainty be traced back into the first century eliminates the third possibility .

Prospective students tend to consider the multi-media scheme after eliminating other possibilities .

Too early death, or severe infirmity, or excessive distance could eliminate any possibility of a significant relationship.

exclude

We can not exclude the possibility , however, of abnormal metabolism of platelet activating factor in four of them.

The second step is designed to exclude this possibility .

For example although duration is commonly measured for tantrums, this does not exclude the possibility of measures of frequency.

A special mention should be made of the use of novel forms of clauses designed to exclude any possibility of judicial review.

Thus, for both of them the theory of forms excluded all possibility of evolution.

However the courts are in general reluctant to exclude the possibility of such legal representation intoto within a particular area.

The guidelines exclude the possibility of assessment of the bargain under the contract as described above.

No description of such entities is so precise as to exclude apriori all possibility of an ambiguous reference.

exhaust

Early weaning is only recommended if the baby is suffering quite badly and you have exhausted all other possibilities .

Having exhausted all these possibilities , the ordering and challenging might become explicit.

Have we therefore exhausted all possibilities of being clearer as to what we are talking about?

explore

To explore this possibility subjects gave risk ratings for the stimuli after completing the main experiment.

We need to articulate the feminine position and explore its possibilities .

There is nothing wrong in seeking an invitation to go and look around a neighbouring school to explore possibilities of working together.

Co. will explore the possibility of finding a purchaser for the station or spinning it off to Disney shareholders.

The Staff Development Group is exploring the possibility of extending the observation and self-evaluation process to review and sustain these developments.

Instead, it explores the possibilities of religion based on the body.

However, opportunities still exist and the contacts listed here should help in exploring various possibilities .

Once Mark knew he was leaving and exploring new possibilities , his back pain went away and his enthusiasm returned.

face

It's so full of unhappy memories - and I don't want to face the possibility of bumping into Uncle Joe.

For the first time in their careers, many of them faced the possibility of failure.

He had not faced the possibility that Anna might die.

Now the Raiders face the very real possibility of unraveling.

Perhaps - in fact most certainly - it would be sensible to face the possibility .

Both had faced the possibility of a death sentence.

We did not know what the future might hold and had to face the possibility that we may not see each other again.

And now it faces the possibility of having to play for an extended period without Hill.

investigate

This project investigates the possibilities for economic development which were open to this group.

Now, detectives are investigating the possibility that a fourth woman may have been slain by the retired Army sergeant.

We must now investigate all possibilities for assisting women in need.

Police are now investigating the possibility Spiro even slaughtered his family while high on drugs.

These questions are then taken by each of the site groups and used to investigate new possibilities .

Accidents still occur, and indeed, are furthered by those investigating new possibilities .

This research aims to investigate the possibility of obtaining information for decision-makers that is more sensitive to people's health needs.

offer

Discussion Impedance planimetry is a novel technique offering possibilities to characterise biomechanical properties invivo of the gut wall.

But a higher-ranking Navy officer overruled the recommendations, sending the officer to an administrative hearing offering no possibility of jail.

Just because the technology offers exciting possibilities , we can not assume that they will be realised.

In general, integrated curricula offer possibilities that are impossible to create otherwise.

In any kind of training a video camera offers the possibility of recording the trainees' performance.

Going Upscale For lunch-goers with an expense account, two classic hotel restaurants offer lavish possibilities .

They saw in it a narrative paradigm which offered the possibility of meaning in their individual experience to all men.

Though it offers more sites and possibilities than any on-line service, it can be confusing, and the quality uneven.

open

The Children Act could also open up much wider possibilities , affecting whole groups of travellers.

It does not itself contain a preformed structure, but simply opens up possibilities .

Three major initiatives have brought this about and have opened up possibilities for futher development in the years to come.

This opens many possibilities for users.

That leaves open the possibility , however, that some declarative sentences or statements are not factual and express something other than beliefs.

Reading opens possibilities to become involved in history, biology, geography, and politics.

Extensive use of the computer in project work opens up the further possibility of a computer-oriented career.

The human genome project opens up the possibility of eliminating certain inherited, genetic diseases.

raise

And beyond these individuals, it raises the possibility of a Republican Party, tolerant and moderate, for the modern age.

This raises the possibility of an employee with a shareholding being allowed to enforce the section 309 duty derivatively.

This raises the possibility that any effect of risk may operate only within individual junctions and not across all junctions.

The issue has recently been raised by the possibility that many criminals show an anomaly in their chromosomes.

All of which raises an intriguing possibility .

These details and a few rough calculations raise an interesting possibility .

rule

This rules out the possibility that autoantibodies are merely a consequence of hepatitis C virus infection.

McCormick would not rule out the possibility of making a bid for the business.

Police ruled out the possibility of sabotage.

However, Bantle would not rule out the possibility that the mission could be cut short if the system is not repaired.

It doesn't rule out the possibility of further guides covering other similar, but not identical, Unix implementations.

Expenses will be kept in line, he said, not ruling out the possibility of minor layoffs.

Detectives still haven't ruled out the possibility that she was abducted.

In any event, we have already ruled out such a possibility .

suggest

The strong association between antral tumours and chronic active gastritis suggests the possibility that H pylori infection may have a pathogenic role.

From the outside, maybe it suggested the possibility of drama and romance.

The following might be suggested as possibilities for the purpose of illustration.

The comments were taken as suggesting the possibility that the Fed has room to ease credit further.

Moscovici's formula that the new social psychology should be both anthropological and historical seems to suggest both possibilities .

But it does suggest certain possibilities .

The position of Captain's companion had been offered to at least four people before Henslow suggested Darwin as a possibility .

Reducing the resistance we encounter from objects, it suggests the possibility of unlimited success against them.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a faint hope/possibility/chance etc

I thought about letting it ring, but there was a faint hope that it might be Sally.

If it can startle the predator in some way, there is a faint chance that the enemy may panic and flee.

That uncertainty urges us to look beyond the present, with a faint hope to control our future.

There remained a faint possibility that Newley would try to identify the person who collected the money.

be alive to a fact/possibility/danger etc

within the realms of possibility

It was actually within the realms of possibility.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

A Republican victory in next month's elections now seems to be a real possibility .

Computers have opened up many exciting possibilities.

One possibility is to offer him more money.

The possibilities for improvement are endless.

There's a distinct possibility that there will be another earthquake.

There is still a faint possibility that Sarah will be found safe and well.

Unless there is some change in the economy, there is a possibility that the plant may close.

We are considering the possibility of providing a new class for advanced students.

We could not ignore the possibility of an enemy attack.

We need to investigate all possibilities for helping these children.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Care must be taken to ensure that the possibility of a sale is not disclosed to the client's staff.

Howard by his belief in original sin, guilt and the possibility of awakening man's consciousness of sin.

I just listened, there was absolutely no possibility of influencing her.

Instrument flight means the possibility of flying in all weather conditions.

It is interesting to reflect upon the possibility that a meteorite-sized chunk of cometary material might survive its fall to Earth.

There was no possibility now that she could capsize: built with positive buoyancy, she was incapable of sinking.

Voice input and output offer possibilities which are only beginning to be explored.

We know this individual pulled the trigger, but there are several possibilities as to who was actually responsible.

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.