English → Latin
“impossible” in Latin
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
impossible
impossibilis (Silver Age; only in a philosophical sense). But in usual language, circumlocution by quod fieri or effici non potest. I think nothing is impossible to you, nihil tibi infectum credo: nothing is impossible to anything, nihil est, quod aliquid (e.g., benevolentia) efficere non possit: I consider this impossible, non puto hoc fieri posse: this is impossible to me, hoc facere or efficere non possum: it is mpossible that, etc. fieri non potest, ut, etc.; nequeo (with following infinitive): it is impossible for a king to live as a private man, nescit rex vivere privatus: I fear this is impossible, vereor, ne non liceat: it is impossible for me to believe this, hoc nullo pacto credere possum: it is impossible for me to believe that, etc., non possum adduci, ut putem, etc.: this makes it impossible for me to believe, hoc credere prohibet, etc.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for impossible?
- The usual Latin words for “impossible” are impossibilis, benevolentia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.