impossibility

impossibility — noun

1. The fact that something cannot exist, happen, or be done under any circumstances

1.nounB2
Definition

The fact that something cannot exist, happen, or be done under any circumstances; also, a specific task or situation that is not achievable no matter what approach is taken.

Example

Dr. Caleb Okonkwo says the impossibility of reversing climate change is now widely accepted.

impossibility + of [gerund] for stating something cannot be done

For Arjun and his family, buying a home in central London was a financial impossibility.

Common collocations
  • absolute impossibility
  • logical impossibility
  • physical impossibility
  • near impossibility
  • virtual impossibility
  • mathematical impossibility
  • practical impossibility
  • prove the impossibility of
  • face the impossibility of
Synonyms
  • impracticality

    suggests something is not sensible or feasible in practice but may still be theoretically possible; weaker than impossibility

  • absurdity

    focuses on the idea being so unreasonable that it cannot be true, rather than being physically or logically impossible

  • hopelessness

    emotional tone — emphasizes the feeling of despair rather than objective impossibility

Antonyms
  • possibility

    the direct opposite — something that can happen or be done

  • feasibility

    practical possibility, suggesting something is achievable with reasonable effort or resources

Grammar Patterns

impossibility + of + noun/gerund

impossibility + that-clause

a/an + adjective + impossibility

Usage Note

Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'absolute', 'logical', 'physical', 'virtual', 'near', and 'mathematical'. The countable form ('an impossibility') refers to a specific impossible task or situation, while the uncountable form ('the impossibility of...') stresses the abstract state. Register is neutral to formal; common in academic writing, journalism, and everyday speech without sounding overly technical.

Common Mistakes

The impossibility to finish the project on time frustrated everyone.
The impossibility of finishing the project on time frustrated everyone.
'impossibility' takes 'of + gerund', not 'to + infinitive'.
It is an impossibility to happen.
It is an impossibility.
'impossibility' already conveys the idea of 'cannot happen'; adding 'to happen' is redundant.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Impossibility refers to something that cannot happen or be done under any circumstances — it is a logical or physical dead end. Impracticality, by contrast, describes something that is extremely difficult, costly, or inconvenient but could theoretically be achieved with enough resources. For example, travelling to Mars this year is an impossibility with current technology, whereas switching everyone to solar power is an impracticality (huge cost and effort, but technically possible). Absurdity goes in a different direction: it describes an idea so contradictory or ridiculous that it defies reason, like claiming that a circle has corners. In short, impossibility blocks action, impracticality discourages it, and absurdity defies sense.

impossibility ↗impracticalityabsurdity

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • prove the impossibility of
  • face the impossibility of
  • a near impossibility
  • a virtual impossibility
  • a physical impossibility
  • a logical impossibility
  • a mathematical impossibility

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'impossibilitas', formed by the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not') attached to 'possibilitas' ('possibility'). It passed into Old French as 'impossibilité' and then into Middle English around the 14th century. From its earliest recorded uses, the word has described things that cannot happen, exist, or be accomplished.