Impossibility

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪmˌpɒsɪˈbɪliti/

Definitions

1. A condition or circumstance that cannot occur or be achieved under any circumstances
2. A scenario in which an event cannot take place or a goal cannot be accomplished due to inherent limitations
3. The quality or fact of being incapable of occurring or existing in any situation

Etymology: "Impossibility" is a straightforward formation: a noun built from "impossible" with the suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning "the state or quality of being" that adjective. "Impossible" itself comes from Latin "impossibilis," where the prefix "im-" means "not" and "possibilis" means "possible," which in turn derives from "posse," "to be able." The noun reached English by way of Middle French "impossibilité," which took it from the Late Latin "impossibilitas." The English noun is thus a near-direct descendant of its Latin ancestor, adopted through French rather than formed from scratch in English.

Synonyms: infeasibility, unfeasibility, unattainability, insurmountability, implausibility

Antonyms: possibility, feasibility, probability, likelihood, certainty