From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Possibly \Pos"si*bly\, adv.
In a possible manner; by possible means; especially, by
extreme, remote, or improbable intervention, change, or
exercise of power; by a chance; perhaps; as, possibly he may
recover.
[1913 Webster]
Can we . . . possibly his love desert? --Milton.
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When possibly I can, I will return. --Shak.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
May \May\ (m[=a]), v. [imp. {Might} (m[imac]t)] [AS. pres. maeg
I am able, pret. meahte, mihte; akin to D. mogen, G.
m["o]gen, OHG. mugan, magan, Icel. mega, Goth. magan, Russ.
moche. [root]103. Cf. {Dismay}, {Main} strength, {Might}. The
old imp. mought is obsolete, except as a provincial word.]
An auxiliary verb qualifying the meaning of another verb, by
expressing:
(a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener
expressed by {can}.
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How may a man, said he, with idle speech,
Be won to spoil the castle of his health!
--Spenser.
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For what he [the king] may do is of two kinds; what
he may do as just, and what he may do as possible.
--Bacon.
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For of all sad words of tongue or pen
The saddest are these: "It might have been."
--Whittier.
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(b) Liberty; permission; allowance.
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Thou mayst be no longer steward. --Luke xvi. 2.
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(c) Contingency or liability; possibility or probability.
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Though what he learns he speaks, and may advance
Some general maxims, or be right by chance. --Pope.
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(d) Modesty, courtesy, or concession, or a desire to soften a
question or remark.
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How old may Phillis be, you ask. --Prior.
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(e) Desire or wish, as in prayer, imprecation, benediction,
and the like. "May you live happily." --Dryden.
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{May be}, & {It may be}, are used as equivalent to
{possibly}, {perhaps}, {maybe}, {by chance},
{peradventure}. See 1st {Maybe}.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
possibly
adv 1: by chance; "perhaps she will call tomorrow"; "we may
possibly run into them at the concert"; "it may
peradventure be thought that there never was such a time"
[syn: {possibly}, {perchance}, {perhaps}, {maybe},
{mayhap}, {peradventure}]
2: to a degree possible of achievement or by possible means;
"they can't possibly get here in time for the funeral?" [ant:
{impossibly}]
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