feasibility

feasibility — noun

1. a measure of how practical or achievable a suggested plan or idea is under real-

1.nounB2
Definition

a measure of how practical or achievable a suggested plan or idea is under real-world conditions

Example

Before building the bridge, the city hired engineers to study its feasibility across the river.

feasibility + of + [project] (prepositional pattern)

The team doubted the feasibility of launching a new product in only three months.

Common collocations
  • feasibility study
  • feasibility report
  • assess the feasibility
  • examine the feasibility
  • evaluate the feasibility
  • economic feasibility
  • technical feasibility
Synonyms
  • viability

    viability focuses on whether something can survive or sustain itself long-term; feasibility is about whether something can be done at all

  • practicability

    practicability is more formal and much less common; it emphasizes realistic usefulness rather than mere possibility

  • possibility

    possibility is a broader term that includes anything that could happen; feasibility implies a practical assessment of real-world conditions

Antonyms
  • impossibility

    direct opposite — something that has no chance of being done

  • impracticality

    suggests that even if something could be done, it would not be sensible or worth doing

Grammar Patterns

feasibility + of + noun/gerund phrase

Usage Note

Typically used in formal, business, or technical writing. In everyday conversation, 'possible' or 'doable' are more common. The word frequently appears in the fixed phrase 'feasibility study', which refers to a detailed evaluation of a proposed project.

Common Mistakes

Is this plan feasibility?
Is this plan feasible?
'feasibility' is a noun; use 'feasible' (adjective) to describe something directly.
We need to check the feasibility if the plan works.
We need to check the feasibility of the plan.
Use 'feasibility + of + noun' rather than 'feasibility if'.

Word family

  • feasible
    adjectiveB2
  • feasibly
    adverbC1
  • unfeasible
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Feasibility, viability, practicability, and possibility all relate to whether something can happen, but they differ in emphasis. Feasibility is the most practical and common term — it asks whether a plan can be done with the resources, time, and technology available. Viability shifts the focus to long-term survival: a business idea may be feasible (you can launch it) but not viable (it can't make enough profit to keep going). Practicability is a rarer, more formal word that stresses whether an action is sensible and convenient under the circumstances — it overlaps with feasibility but carries a stronger 'worth doing' nuance. Possibility is the broadest, covering anything that could conceivably happen, however unlikely. A trip to Mars was once a possibility; with current technology it is not yet feasible. When choosing among these words, ask yourself: are you focused on whether it can be done (feasibility), whether it can last (viability), whether it is sensible (practicability), or whether it is even conceivable (possibility)?

viability ↗practicabilitypossibility ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • feasibility study
  • feasibility report
  • feasibility analysis
  • assess the feasibility of
  • examine the feasibility of
  • evaluate the feasibility of
  • question the feasibility of
  • prove the feasibility of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Feasibility is formed from the adjective 'feasible' (meaning 'capable of being done') plus the noun-forming suffix '-ity'. 'Feasible' entered English from Old French 'faisible', a derivative of 'faire' (to do), which traces back to Latin 'facere' (to make, to do). The modern spelling was influenced by the Latin root 'facere'.