Etymologically
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possibilità

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 21 October 2026 at 19:41. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /pos.si.bi.liˈta/[1]

Forms

possibilità f (invariable)[1][2] The old forms are possibilitade and possibilitate.[2][3]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Late Latin possibilitās (“possibility”), from Latin possibilis (“possible”) (see possibile) with the suffix -tās.[4][2][3][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

GRADIT's first date is 1304–1308, for the old form possibilitade, and Nocentini dates the word to the early 14th century.[2][4] DELI's first record, Bartolomeo da San Concordio before 1347, has the sense “capacity, power”.[5]

Semantic evolution

In 1353 Boccaccio used the word, chiefly in the plural, for the material or moral means one has, a sense still current (secondo le proprie possibilità).[5][2] The abstract “condition of being possible” is first recorded in Varchi, before 1565.[5] An old translation of Saint Bernard speaks of the “possibilità di peccare”, the possibility of sinning.[3] In Kant's philosophy possibilità is one of the three categories of modality.[2]

Timeline

  • 1304–1308 – Possibilitade is recorded.[2]
  • Before 1347 – Bartolomeo da San Concordio uses possibilità for “capacity”.[5]
  • 1353 – Boccaccio uses it for one's means.[5]
  • Before 1565 – Varchi uses it for “the condition of being possible”.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. possibility, the chance that something may happen: C'è la possibilità che il treno arrivi in ritardo.[2][6][1]
  2. Feasibility, the fact that something can be done.[2]
  3. An opportunity, the means or occasion to do something: Non ho avuto la possibilità di salutarla.[2][1]
  4. (chiefly plural) Means, resources, abilities: vivere al di sopra delle proprie possibilità.[2][5]
  5. (philosophy) In Kant, one of the categories of modality.[2]

Word family

  • impossibilità

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
  3. ^ a b c Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca
  4. ^ a b Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
  6. ^ Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier