Impossibles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term describing situations or tasks that are deemed incapable of being achieved or accomplished; referring to challenges that defy all reasonable chances of success; characterizing endeavors that are viewed as unattainable or beyond the realm of possibility
2. Denoting circumstances that are perceived as utterly unfeasible or lacking any likelihood of realization; signifying efforts that are considered hopelessly unrealistic or overly ambitious; describing obstacles that are labeled as insurmountable or unachievable
3. A phrase used to indicate scenarios or tasks highly regarded as unachievable or unrealistic; denoting challenges that appear to defy all practical success; referring to ambitions viewed as beyond reach or capability

Etymology: "Impossibles" is the plural of "impossible," used as a noun for goals or ambitions that lie beyond what can be achieved. Its roots are simple: "impossible" comes from Middle English, built from the prefix im- ("not") attached to "possible," which descends from the Latin "possibilis," meaning "able to be done." The plural noun form is the more recent development. The adjective "impossible" was in use long before anyone pluralised it as a thing in its own right, so the noun simply turns a quality into a set of objects one can chase, such as "chasing impossibles" or a list of them. The noun carries the adjective's sense of something that cannot be done, now treated as a collection of targets.

Synonyms: unachievables, unattainables, unfeasibles, unrealizables, inconceivables

Antonyms: possibles, achievables, feasibles, attainables, realizables