impossibly
UK[ɪmˈpɒsəbli]US[ɪmˈpɑːsəbli]
adv
to a degree that is very difficult to believe or achieve; extremely
adv
in a way that cannot be done or cannot happen
Morpheme Breakdown
im
poss
ibly
im
not
poss
able
ibly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word "impossibly" is built upon the core latin concept of ability, 'posse'. the negative prefix 'in-' (assimilated to 'im-' before 'p') was attached to form 'impossibilis' in late latin, meaning "not able to be done". this passed into english as the adjective "impossible". the adverbial suffix '-ly', with its origins in old english '-lice', was then appended to create "impossibly", a word that literally means "in a not-able manner". its modern usage has expanded from describing literal incapability to also emphasize an extreme degree, as in "impossibly difficult", maintaining a logical link to the idea of surpassing ordinary limits of feasibility.
Analysis
Structure: im (not) + poss (able) + ibly (adverb suffix)
- im: a latin prefix meaning "not" or "opposite of".
- poss: a substring derived from the latin root 'posse', meaning "to be able".
- ibly: an adverbial suffix of latin origin, used to form adverbs from adjectives ending in -ible.
Examples
the exam was impossibly hard, leaving many students in despair.
she managed to fit an impossibly large amount of data onto the tiny drive.
the task is not just difficult; it is impossibly complex given our current resources.