What does feasibly mean?
"Feasibly" is an adverb describing whether something can be done or achieved in practice — not merely in theory. Where "possibly" asks only if a thing can occur at all, "feasibly" weighs real-world constraints: time, money, effort, and circumstance. The word derives from "feasible," which traces back through Old French "faisable" to the Latin verb facere, meaning "to do or make." In modern English it appears most often in formal registers such as business reports, legal documents, project plans, and policy discussions, typically in phrases like "could not feasibly be completed." Its connotation is soberly analytical; using it signals that a judgment has been made about what is genuinely achievable. It is a useful precision tool for writers who need to distinguish between the theoretically imaginable and the practically attainable.
adverbIn a way that is possible or practicable; so as to be capable of being done or achieved with the available means or circumstances.
- In such a way that something can be done or achieved with available resources or under existing constraints; practicamente possible.
"The conference could not feasibly be held in two venues at once."
"The team could not feasibly deliver all twelve features before the deadline."
"Given the budget, the trip could feasibly be completed by train rather than plane."
Every time you say "feasibly," you're echoing the Latin facere — the same root that gives us "fact," "feat," and "perfect." Feasibility is, quite literally, doability.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of feasibly
"Feasibly" is formed from the adjective "feasible" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly." "Feasible" entered English in the 15th century from Old French "faisable," the present participle stem of "faire" (to do), which descends from Latin "facere" (to do or make). The same Latin root produced English words such as "feat," "fact," and "defect," making "feasibly" a distant cousin of everyday vocabulary about doing and making.
Related word forms
How feasibly is actually used
A relatively formal word, common in business, legal, engineering, and planning contexts. It frequently appears in negative constructions — "cannot feasibly be done" — where it signals that a proposed course of action exceeds practical limits without declaring it absolutely impossible.
Easily confused with feasibly
"Feasible" is the adjective meaning possible or practicable, while "feasibly" is its adverb form describing how something can be done.
"Possibly" means it can happen at all, while "feasibly" implies it can be accomplished in practice given real constraints of time, cost, or resources.