Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Impossible
Im-pos′si-ble
,Adj.
Not possible; incapable of being done, of existing, etc.; unattainable in the nature of things, or by means at command; insuperably difficult under the circumstances; absurd or impracticable; not feasible.
With men this is
impossible
; but with God all things are possible. Matt. xix. 26.
Without faith it is
impossible
to please him. Heb. xi. 6.
Syn. – See
Impracticable
. Im-pos′si-ble
,Noun.
An impossibility;
as, he tried to do the
. impossible
[Obs.]
“Madam,” quoth he, “this were an
impossible
!” Chaucer.
Webster 1828 Edition
Impossible
IMPOSS'IBLE
,Adj.
1.
That cannot be. It is impossible that two and two should make five, or that a circle and a square make five, or that a circle and a square should be the same thing, or that a thing should be, and not be at the same time.2.
Impracticable; not feasible; that cannot be done. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matt.19.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb.11.
There are two kinds of impossibilities; physical and moral. That is a physical impossibility, which is contrary to the law of nature. A thing is said to be morally impossible, when in itself it is possible,but attended with difficulties or circumstances which give it the appearance of being impossible. [See Possible, Practicable and Impracticable.]
Definition 2024
impossible
impossible
English
Alternative forms
- inpossible (obsolete)
Adjective
impossible (comparative more impossible, superlative most impossible)
- Not possible; not able to be done or happen.
- 1865, Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- Nothing is impossible, only impassible.
- 13 March 1962, John F. Kennedy
- Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
- 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
- Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.
- It is difficult, if not impossible, to memorize 20,000 consecutive numbers.
- Sarah thinks that nothing is impossible because things can always somehow happen.
- 1865, Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- (colloquial, of a person) Very difficult to deal with.
- You never listen to a word I say – you're impossible!
- (mathematics, dated) imaginary
- impossible quantities, or imaginary numbers
Synonyms
- unpossible (rare)
Antonyms
- (not able to be done or happen): possible, inevitable
Derived terms
Translations
not able to be done
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very difficult to deal with
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never happening
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Noun
impossible (plural impossibles)
- (obsolete) an impossibility
- Late 14th century: “Madame,” quod he, “this were an impossible!” — Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Franklin's Tale’, Canterbury Tales
Translations
an impossibility
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Statistics
Most common English words before 1923: battle · bound · York · #738: impossible · greatest · property · started
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin impossibilis, equivalent to in- + possible.
Adjective
impossible m, f (masculine and feminine plural impossibles)
French
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɛ̃.pɔ.sibl/
Adjective
impossible m, f (plural impossibles)