different between impossible vs unworkable

English

Alternative forms

• inpossible (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French impossible, from Latin impossibilis, from in- (“not”) + possibilis (“possible”), from possum (“to be able”) + suffix -ibilis (“-able”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m?p?s.?.b?l/, /?m?p?s.?.b?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m?p?.s?bl/
• Hyphenation: im?pos?si?ble

Adjective

impossible (comparative more impossible, superlative most impossible)

1. Not possible; not able to be done or happen.
   • 1610-11?, Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act II, scene i:

     Antonio: What impossible matter will he make easy next?

     Sebastian: I think he will carry this island home in his pocket and give it his son for an apple.

     Antonio : And sowing the kernels of it in the sea bring forth more islands.

   • 1865, Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

     Nothing is impossible, only impassible.

   • 13 March 1962, John F. Kennedy

     Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

2. (colloquial, of a person) Very difficult to deal with.

3. (mathematics, dated) imaginary

Synonyms

• unpossible (rare)

Antonyms

• (not able to be done or happen): possible, inevitable

Derived terms

• impossibility
• impossibly
• mission impossible

Translations

Noun

impossible (plural impossibles)

1. (obsolete) an impossibility
   • Late 14th century: “Madame,” quod he, “this were an impossible!” — Geoffrey Chaucer, ‘The Franklin's Tale’, Canterbury Tales

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin impossibilis, equivalent to in- +? possible.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /im.pu?si.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /im.po?si.ble/

Adjective

impossible (masculine and feminine plural impossibles)

1. impossible

   Antonym: possible

Derived terms

• impossiblement

Related terms

• impossibilitat

Further reading

• “impossible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “impossible” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “impossible” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “impossible” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

From im- +? possible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.p?.sibl/

Adjective

impossible (plural impossibles)

1. impossible

Derived terms

• à cœur vaillant rien d'impossible
• à l'impossible nul n'est tenu
• impossible n'est pas français
• impossiblement

Further reading

• “impossible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Middle French

Adjective

impossible m or f (plural impossibles)

1. impossible

English

Etymology

From un- +? workable.

Adjective

unworkable (comparative more unworkable, superlative most unworkable)

1. Not workable or operable; not practical; unmanageable.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

unworkable (plural unworkables)

1. Something that is not workable, or cannot be made to work.
   • 2004, Don Aslett, The Office Clutter Cure (page 44)

     We all have some secret little hope that the unworkables will be resurrected. You haven't seen any of the occupants of the pyramids pull this off yet, nor will you see any use for old, outdated, dead office stuff.

   • 2011, Terry Kay, Bogmeadow's Wish (page 33)

     His effort at maintaining a casual relationship was one of the unworkables in his life. Ealy had once observed that friends may become lovers, but lovers could never be friends.