A possible synonym needs to say whether something can be done, might be true or could come later. Plans are feasible, doable or achievable. Ideas are conceivable or plausible. Future options are potential or prospective.
Possible bends to fit almost any sentence, and that is exactly why it can feel vague in a report. The words in each group below are sharper, though each one also changes the claim a little. Notes on likely, the phrase as soon as possible and the opposite words follow the lists.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
feasible, doable, achievable, potential, conceivablePart of speech
Adjective (adverb: possibly, noun: possibility)Most formal
practicable, feasible, conceivableMost casual
doable, in the cardsAntonyms
impossible, unfeasible, unthinkableWatch out
Likely and probable are stronger. Possible means it could happen, likely means it probably will.
Which possible synonym fits your sentence
| Meaning | Swaps | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Can be done | feasible, doable, achievable, viable | A four-day week is feasible for our team. |
| Might be true | conceivable, plausible, credible | It is conceivable that the letter was lost. |
| Could happen later | potential, prospective | We met three prospective buyers. |
| Can be had or used | available, obtainable | Use every available seat. |
From doable to practicable
Read the chips up top from left to right, chatty to formal. Doable is friendly and common in team talk. Workable suggests a plan with no fatal flaw. Achievable suits goals and targets. Feasible is standard in business and research and often comes with a study: a feasibility report. Practicable is rare outside legal and technical writing and means able to be put into practice.
Viable sits beside feasible but adds the idea of surviving over time, which is why investors talk about viable companies.
Possible versus likely and probable
Writers often mix these up. Possible only rules out impossible. Likely and probable say the odds are good. Trade one in for the other and your claim shifts.
- Rain is possible means there is some chance.
- Rain is likely means it will probably rain.
If you are sure, move further up to certain or definite.
Plausible is about belief, not odds. A plausible excuse sounds believable even if it is false.
Swaps in everyday writing
- Is it possible to change the date becomes could we change the date, which sounds more natural in email.
- A possible solution becomes a potential solution or a workable solution.
- The target is possible if we start now becomes the target is achievable if we start now.
- Every possible option becomes every available option.
- It is possible that he forgot becomes he may have forgotten.
- As soon as possible becomes at your earliest convenience in formal mail, or when you can in a friendly one.
A project update: "A June launch is possible." Writing "A June launch is achievable if testing finishes by May" tells the manager what has to go right, which turns a hope into a plan.
Possibly, possibility and other forms
The adverb possibly swaps for perhaps, maybe or conceivably: possibly the best café in town becomes perhaps the best café in town. In polite requests, could you possibly help is softer than could you help, so keep it when tone matters.
The noun possibility becomes chance, prospect, option or potential. A real possibility of rain is a fair chance of rain, while three possibilities for dinner are three options.
Antonyms for possible
Impossible is the plain antonym. Unfeasible, unworkable and impractical suit plans. Inconceivable and unthinkable suit ideas. Out of the question is a firm refusal in speech.
- The budget makes a second office unworkable.
- A pay cut is out of the question.
Adjectives for size, mood and quality live under describing words.
Frequently asked questions
Which possible synonym sounds best in a business report?
Feasible and viable are the standard choices. Feasible means it can be done, viable means it can also last.
Is potential the same as possible?
Close. Potential points to something that could develop in future, like a potential client. Possible is broader and also covers present facts.
Can I say doable in formal writing?
It is accepted but sounds relaxed. In a formal paper, achievable or feasible is safer.
What is a word for not possible?
Impossible is the direct one. Unfeasible fits plans, and inconceivable fits ideas you cannot imagine being true.
What can replace as soon as possible?
Promptly, at your earliest convenience or without delay are formal choices. When you get a chance is the polite casual version.
How are possible and plausible different?
Possible means it could happen or be true. Plausible means it sounds believable to listeners, whether or not it is true.