Word Confusion: Feasible versus Possible

“It may be possible to build one’s dream home on a bleak, stormy mountain with no roads, but who would call such a plan feasible?” (GrammarBook).

Don’t you love it? This quote is so perfect to demonstrate the difference between feasible with its sense of we can sensibly achieve versus possible where there is a likelihood that it may not be achievable.

In formal writing, what one shouldn’t do is use feasible as being likely or reasonable, as it is an inaccurate usage. It is more acceptable in idiomatic writing, e.g., dialogue or thought,.

You may also want to explore the post “Practicable versus Practical“.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Feasible	Possible
—	—
Part of Grammar:
Adjective	Adjective; Noun Plural for the noun: possibles
Possible to do easily or conveniently [Informal] Likely Probable Capable of being done, effected, or accomplished Suitable	Adjective: Able to be done That may or can be, exist, happen, be done, be used, etc. Within the power or capacity of someone or something Able to happen although not certain to Denoting a fact, event, or situation that may or may not occur or be so That may be true or may be the case, as something concerning which one has no knowledge to the contrary [Attrib.] Able to be or become Potential [With superlative] Having as much or as little of a specified quality as can be achieved [Attrib. of a number or score] As high as is achievable in a test, competition, or game Noun: A person or thing that has the potential to become or do something, especially a potential candidate for a job or membership on a team [the possible] That which is likely or achievable
Examples:
It is not feasible to put most finds from excavations on public display. It wasn’t the most feasible explanation. Jeff seems to have a feasible plan. It’s a feasible theory. Is this road feasible for travel?	Adjective: Surely it’s not possible for a man to live so long? What are the possible alternatives? Contact me as soon as possible. I’d like the report this afternoon, if possible. A new theory emerged about the possible cause of the plane crash. It is possible that he will have to return to the hospital. He was a possible future customer. The children need the best education possible. Can you find the shortest possible route? He scored 723 points out of a possible 900. Noun: I have marked five possibles with an asterisk. They were living right at the edge of the possible. But . . . think of the possible!
Derivatives:
Adjective: unfeasible Adverb: feasibly Noun: feasibility, feasibleness	Adjective: impossible, nonpossible Noun: impossibilities, impossibility, possibilities, possibility
History of the Word:
Late Middle English, from the Old French faisible, from fais-, stem of faire meaning do, make, which is from the Latin facere.	Late Middle English, from the Old French, or from the Latin possibilis, from posse meaning be able.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Feasible versus Possible

Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.

Apple Dictionary.com

Dictionary.com: feasible, possible

“Feasible, Possible”. GrammarBook. n.d. Web. 22 June 2019. <https://www.grammarbook.com/homonyms/feasible-possible.asp>.

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Med-e-lert Automatic Pill Dispenser by Potentialthreat is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. Pill Bottles is also under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Revised as of 11 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie