impossibility

Everyday

1. Impossibility is the state of being impossible: something that cannot happen or cannot be done. tree →
2. An impossibility is a thing that cannot happen. tree →

In the lessons

In maths, probability lessons say an impossible event has a probability of 0, such as rolling a 7 on a normal six-sided dice. In logic, an impossibility is something that contradicts itself, like a square circle. In stories, heroes face near-impossibilities. Phrases: a near impossibility, a physical impossibility, a logical impossibility.

Examples

• Rolling a 7 on one normal dice is an impossibility. tree →
• Winning without practice is close to an impossibility. tree →
• A square circle is a logical impossibility. tree →
• Being in two places at once is a physical impossibility. tree →
• Getting a ticket was almost an impossibility. tree →
• The impossibility of the task made them want to try harder. tree →
• They declared that the problem would never be solved, that the thing was an impossibility. tree →

Note

Countable and uncountable. In maths, impossible = probability 0; very unlikely is not the same as impossible (probability above 0). Adjective: impossible.