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1 ♦ possibility
♦ possibility /pɒsəˈbɪlətɪ/n. [uc]1 possibilità: There is no possibility of his winning, non c'è nessuna possibilità di vittoria per lui; to exclude a possibility, scartare una possibilità; to explore all the possibilities, esplorare ogni possibilità; a remote possibility, una possibilità remota; to rule out the possibility, escludere la possibilità2 (pl.) possibilità di successo; prospettiva; opportunità: What are the possibilities?, che possibilità (di successo) ci sono?● (trasp.) possibility of transit, transitabilità ( di una strada). -
2 possibility
[ˌpɒsə'bɪlətɪ] 1.1) (chance, prospect) possibilità f.2.nome plurale possibilities (potential)* * *plural - possibilities; noun (something that is possible; the state of being possible; (a) likelihood: There isn't much possibility of that happening; There's a possibility of war; The plan has possibilities (= looks as if it may be a good one).) possibilità* * *[ˌpɒsə'bɪlətɪ] 1.1) (chance, prospect) possibilità f.2.nome plurale possibilities (potential) -
3 possibility **** pos·sibil·ity n
[ˌpɒsə'bɪlɪtɪ]possibilità f invthere is no possibility of his agreeing to it — non c'è la minima possibilità or probabilità che accetti
to have possibilities — (person) avere delle (buone) possibilità
English-Italian dictionary > possibility **** pos·sibil·ity n
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4 might
I [maɪt]"will you come?" - "I might" — "vieni?" - "può darsi"
try as I might, I can't do it — per quanto ci provi, non riesco a farlo
3) (in sequence of tenses, in reported speech)4) form. (when making requests)if I might — se possibile, se posso
might I ask who's calling? — con chi sto parlando, per favore?
and who, might I ask, are you? o and who might you be? — (aggressive) e potrei sapere chi è lei?
6) (when making statement, argument)one might argue o it might be argued that si potrebbe sostenere che; as you o one might expect come ci si potrebbe aspettare; as you might imagine — come puoi immaginare
7) (expressing reproach, irritation)II [maɪt]I might have known o guessed! avrei dovuto aspettarmelo o immaginarlo! he might at least apologize! potrebbe almeno scusarsi! you might have warned me! — avresti potuto avvisarmi!
1) (power) potere m., potenza f.2) (physical strength) forza f., potenza f.* * *I(-)1) (past tense of may: I thought I might find you here; He might come if you offered him a meal.)2) (used instead of `may', eg to make a possibility seem less likely, or a request for permission more polite: He might win if he tries hard; Might I speak to you for a few minutes, please?)3) (used in suggesting that a person is not doing what he should: You might help me clean the car!)•- might have
- I might have known II(power or strength: The might of the opposing army was too great for us.)- mighty- mightily
- mightiness* * *I [maɪt]"will you come?" - "I might" — "vieni?" - "può darsi"
try as I might, I can't do it — per quanto ci provi, non riesco a farlo
3) (in sequence of tenses, in reported speech)4) form. (when making requests)if I might — se possibile, se posso
might I ask who's calling? — con chi sto parlando, per favore?
and who, might I ask, are you? o and who might you be? — (aggressive) e potrei sapere chi è lei?
6) (when making statement, argument)one might argue o it might be argued that si potrebbe sostenere che; as you o one might expect come ci si potrebbe aspettare; as you might imagine — come puoi immaginare
7) (expressing reproach, irritation)II [maɪt]I might have known o guessed! avrei dovuto aspettarmelo o immaginarlo! he might at least apologize! potrebbe almeno scusarsi! you might have warned me! — avresti potuto avvisarmi!
1) (power) potere m., potenza f.2) (physical strength) forza f., potenza f. -
5 look into
look into [sth.] esaminare, studiare [possibility, problem]; indagare su, investigare su [death, disappearance]* * *(to inspect or investigate closely: The manager will look into your complaint.) esaminare* * *vi + prep(matter, possibility) esaminare* * *look into [sth.] esaminare, studiare [possibility, problem]; indagare su, investigare su [death, disappearance] -
6 rule out
rule out [sth.], rule [sth.] out1) (eliminate) escludere, scartare [ possibility]* * *(to leave out; not to consider: We mustn't rule out the possibility of bad weather.) escludere* * *vt + adv* * *rule out [sth.], rule [sth.] out1) (eliminate) escludere, scartare [ possibility] -
7 chance
I 1. [tʃɑːns] [AE tʃæns]1) (opportunity) opportunità f., occasione f.to have o get the chance to do avere l'opportunità di fare; to give sb. a o the chance to do dare a qcn. la possibilità di fare; to take one's chance cogliere la propria occasione; you've missed your chance hai perso la tua occasione; now's your chance! questo è il tuo momento! questa è la tua occasione! this is your big chance questa è la tua grande occasione; if you get a chance se ti capita l'occasione; when you get a o the chance, can you...? — quando ti capita, potresti...?
2) (likelihood) probabilità f., possibilità f. ( of doing di fare)there's little chance of sb. doing — ci sono poche possibilità che qcn. faccia
there is a chance that sb. will do — è probabile che qcn. faccia
any chance of a coffee? — colloq. sarebbe possibile avere un caffè?
3) (luck) caso m., fortuna f.4) (risk) rischio m.5) (possibility) possibilità f.2.do you have his address by any chance? — hai il suo indirizzo, per caso?
modificatore [encounter, occurrence] fortuito; [ discovery] accidentale, casuale••II [tʃɑːns] [AE tʃæns]no chance! — colloq. (proprio) per niente! assolutamente no!
1) (risk)to chance one's arm — tentare la sorte, rischiare
•* * *1. noun1) (luck or fortune: It was by chance that I found out the truth.) caso2) (an opportunity: Now you have a chance to do well.) opportunità3) (a possibility: He has no chance of winning.) possibilità4) ((a) risk: There's an element of chance in this business deal.) rischio2. verb1) (to risk: I may be too late but I'll just have to chance it.) rischiare2) (to happen accidentally or unexpectedly: I chanced to see him last week.) accadere, capitare3. adjective(happening unexpectedly: a chance meeting.) casuale, fortuito- chancy- chance on
- upon
- by any chance
- by chance
- an even chance
- the chances are* * *I 1. [tʃɑːns] [AE tʃæns]1) (opportunity) opportunità f., occasione f.to have o get the chance to do avere l'opportunità di fare; to give sb. a o the chance to do dare a qcn. la possibilità di fare; to take one's chance cogliere la propria occasione; you've missed your chance hai perso la tua occasione; now's your chance! questo è il tuo momento! questa è la tua occasione! this is your big chance questa è la tua grande occasione; if you get a chance se ti capita l'occasione; when you get a o the chance, can you...? — quando ti capita, potresti...?
2) (likelihood) probabilità f., possibilità f. ( of doing di fare)there's little chance of sb. doing — ci sono poche possibilità che qcn. faccia
there is a chance that sb. will do — è probabile che qcn. faccia
any chance of a coffee? — colloq. sarebbe possibile avere un caffè?
3) (luck) caso m., fortuna f.4) (risk) rischio m.5) (possibility) possibilità f.2.do you have his address by any chance? — hai il suo indirizzo, per caso?
modificatore [encounter, occurrence] fortuito; [ discovery] accidentale, casuale••II [tʃɑːns] [AE tʃæns]no chance! — colloq. (proprio) per niente! assolutamente no!
1) (risk)to chance one's arm — tentare la sorte, rischiare
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8 could
[ forma debole kəd] [ forma forte kʊd]it could be that... — potrebbe essere che
could be — colloq. forse
"did she know?" - "no, how could she?" — "lo sapeva?" - "no, come avrebbe potuto?"
you couldn't come earlier, could you? — non potresti arrivare prima, vero?
6) (expressing likelihood, assumption)he couldn't be more than 10 years old — non dovrebbe avere o non avrà più di 10 anni
••I could murder him! — colloq. l'ammazzerei!
Note:Could is formally the past tense and the conditional of can. As the past tense of can, could is translated by the appropriate past tense in the indicative: I couldn't leave the children = non potevo lasciare i bambini / non potei lasciare i bambini; few people could read or write = poche persone sapevano leggere o scrivere; he couldn't sleep for weeks = non è riuscito a dormire per settimane; we could hear them laughing = li sentivamo ridere. When preceded by and dependent on a verb in the past tense, could + verb is translated by the past conditional of the appropriate Italian verb: I was sure you could do it = ero sicuro che saresti riuscito a farlo. In reported speech, could is translated by the appropriate past tense, according to the rules of Italian grammar (see the note 1.dire): she never told us she could speak Chinese = non ci ha mai detto che sapeva parlare il cinese. - For more examples, particular usages and all other uses of could see the entry below* * *[kud]negative short form - couldn't; verb1) (past tense of can: They asked if I could drive a car; I said I couldn't; She asked if she could go.) potere2) (used to express a possibility: I could go but I'm not going to; I could do it next week if you helped me.) potere•* * *[ forma debole kəd] [ forma forte kʊd]it could be that... — potrebbe essere che
could be — colloq. forse
"did she know?" - "no, how could she?" — "lo sapeva?" - "no, come avrebbe potuto?"
you couldn't come earlier, could you? — non potresti arrivare prima, vero?
6) (expressing likelihood, assumption)he couldn't be more than 10 years old — non dovrebbe avere o non avrà più di 10 anni
••I could murder him! — colloq. l'ammazzerei!
Note:Could is formally the past tense and the conditional of can. As the past tense of can, could is translated by the appropriate past tense in the indicative: I couldn't leave the children = non potevo lasciare i bambini / non potei lasciare i bambini; few people could read or write = poche persone sapevano leggere o scrivere; he couldn't sleep for weeks = non è riuscito a dormire per settimane; we could hear them laughing = li sentivamo ridere. When preceded by and dependent on a verb in the past tense, could + verb is translated by the past conditional of the appropriate Italian verb: I was sure you could do it = ero sicuro che saresti riuscito a farlo. In reported speech, could is translated by the appropriate past tense, according to the rules of Italian grammar (see the note 1.dire): she never told us she could speak Chinese = non ci ha mai detto che sapeva parlare il cinese. - For more examples, particular usages and all other uses of could see the entry below -
9 exclude
[ɪk'skluːd]verbo transitivo (keep out) escludere [person, group]; (leave out) escludere, non includere [ name]; escludere, scartare [issue, possibility]to exclude a pupil — (for a set period) sospendere un alunno; (permanently) espellere un alunno
* * *[ik'sklu:d]1) (to prevent (someone) from sharing or taking part in something: They excluded her from the meeting.) escludere2) (to shut out; to keep out: Fill the bottle to the top so as to exclude all air.) lasciar fuori3) (to leave out of consideration: We cannot exclude the possibility that he was lying.) escludere•- excluding* * *[ɪk'skluːd]verbo transitivo (keep out) escludere [person, group]; (leave out) escludere, non includere [ name]; escludere, scartare [issue, possibility]to exclude a pupil — (for a set period) sospendere un alunno; (permanently) espellere un alunno
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10 endless
['endlɪs]1) (unlimited) [patience, possibility] infinito; [ supply] inesauribile2) (interminable) [list, journey] interminabile* * *1) (going on for ever or for a very long time: endless arguments.) interminabile2) (continuous, because of having the two ends joined: an endless chain.) continuo* * *endless /ˈɛndləs/a.1 senza fine; infinito; sconfinato, sterminato; interminabile: This will save endless trouble, questo ci risparmierà infiniti guai; an endless speech, un discorso interminabileendlessly avv. endlessness n. [u].* * *['endlɪs]1) (unlimited) [patience, possibility] infinito; [ supply] inesauribile2) (interminable) [list, journey] interminabile -
11 frightful
['fraɪtfl]1) (inducing horror) [scene, sight] spaventoso2) colloq. (terrible, bad) [prospect, possibility, mistake] spaventoso, terribile; [ headache] terribile3) colloq. (expressing disgust) [person, decor] spaventoso, orribile* * *1) (terrible or frightening: I had a frightful experience.) spaventoso2) (very bad: He is a frightful liar.)* * *frightful /ˈfraɪtfl/a.1 spaventoso; spaventevole; terribile2 (fam., enfat.) orribile; tremendo; atroce: frightful weather, tempo orribile; a frightful bore, un tremendo seccatore; frightful manners, maniere atrocifrightfullyavv.2 (fam., enfat.) molto: frightfully nice, simpaticissimo; I'm frightfully sorry, sono davvero spiacente; sono desolatofrightfulnessn. [u]spaventosità.* * *['fraɪtfl]1) (inducing horror) [scene, sight] spaventoso2) colloq. (terrible, bad) [prospect, possibility, mistake] spaventoso, terribile; [ headache] terribile3) colloq. (expressing disgust) [person, decor] spaventoso, orribile -
12 moot
I [muːt]aggettivo discutibile, opinabileII [muːt]verbo transitivo form. proporre, discutere su [ possibility]* * *[muːt]1. adjit's a moot point — è un punto discutibile or controverso
2. vtit has been mooted whether... — è stata sollevata la questione se...
* * *moot /mu:t/A n.B a.1 da discutere; incerto; discutibile; opinabile: This is a moot point ( o question) requiring further discussion, si tratta di una questione che richiede ulteriori discussioni2 su cui non vale la pena discutere; irrilevante● moot court, tribunale fittizio ( in cui studenti di giurisprudenza discutono casi legali teorici) □ (stor.) moot hall, palazzo del consiglio del popolo.(to) moot /mu:t/v. t.1 mettere in discussione; discutere; dibattere● to moot a question, sollevare una questione.* * *I [muːt]aggettivo discutibile, opinabileII [muːt]verbo transitivo form. proporre, discutere su [ possibility] -
13 tantalizing
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14 put down
1) (on ground, table) mettere giù, posare [ object]; fare atterrare [ plane]; mettere [rat poison etc.]2) (suppress) reprimere [revolt, opposition]3) (write down) annotare, scrivere [date, name]4) (ascribe)to put sth. down to — attribuire o imputare qcs. a [incompetence, human error]
5) (charge)to put sth. down to — mettere o segnare qcs. su [ account]
7) (advance, deposit)to put down a deposit — versare una somma in deposito o come anticipo
to put Ј 50 down on sth. — dare 50 sterline come anticipo di qcs
9) (put on agenda) mettere [qcs.] all'ordine del giorno [ motion]; put [sb.] down, put down [sb.]10) (drop off) fare scendere, lasciare [ passenger]12) (into lower group) inserire in un livello inferiore [ pupil]; fare retrocedere [ team] ( from da; to, into a)13) (classify, count in)to put sb. down as — considerare qcn. come [possibility, candidate, fool]
to put sb. down for — (note as wanting or offering) segnare qcn. per [ contribution]; (put on waiting list) mettere qcn. in lista per [school, club]
to put sb. down for three tickets — segnare qcn. per tre biglietti, prenotare tre biglietti per qcn
* * *1) (to lower: The teacher asked the pupil to put his hand down.) abbassare, mettere giù2) (to place on the floor or other surface, out of one's hands: Put that knife down immediately!) posare3) (to subdue (a rebellion etc).) domare, reprimere4) (to kill (an animal) painlessly when it is old or very ill.) abbattere, sopprimere* * *1. vt + adv1) (set down) mettere giù, posare, (passenger) far scendere2) (lower: umbrella) chiudere, (car roof) abbassare3) (crush: revolt) reprimere, (gambling, prostitution) abolire, (rumour) mettere a tacere, (humiliate) mortificare4) (pay: deposit) versare5) (destroy: pet) abbattere6) (write down) scrivereput it down on my account Comm — me lo addebiti or metta in conto
put me down for £15 — segnami or mettimi in lista per 15 sterline
7) (classify) considerare8)to put sth down to sth — attribuire qc a qc2. vi + advAer atterrare* * *1) (on ground, table) mettere giù, posare [ object]; fare atterrare [ plane]; mettere [rat poison etc.]2) (suppress) reprimere [revolt, opposition]3) (write down) annotare, scrivere [date, name]4) (ascribe)to put sth. down to — attribuire o imputare qcs. a [incompetence, human error]
5) (charge)to put sth. down to — mettere o segnare qcs. su [ account]
7) (advance, deposit)to put down a deposit — versare una somma in deposito o come anticipo
to put Ј 50 down on sth. — dare 50 sterline come anticipo di qcs
9) (put on agenda) mettere [qcs.] all'ordine del giorno [ motion]; put [sb.] down, put down [sb.]10) (drop off) fare scendere, lasciare [ passenger]12) (into lower group) inserire in un livello inferiore [ pupil]; fare retrocedere [ team] ( from da; to, into a)13) (classify, count in)to put sb. down as — considerare qcn. come [possibility, candidate, fool]
to put sb. down for — (note as wanting or offering) segnare qcn. per [ contribution]; (put on waiting list) mettere qcn. in lista per [school, club]
to put sb. down for three tickets — segnare qcn. per tre biglietti, prenotare tre biglietti per qcn
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15 remote *** re·mote adj
[rɪ'məʊt]-r comp - st superl1) (place, period) remoto (-a), (ancestor) lontano (-a), (in concept: idea) lontano (-a), (person: aloof) distante, (uninvolved) distaccato (-a), Comput a distanza2) (slight: possibility, resemblance) vago (-a)not the remotest idea/hope — neanche la più vaga idea/speranza
there is a remote possibility that... — c'è una vaga possibilità che... + sub
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16 alert
I 1. [ə'lɜːt]1) (lively) [ child] vivace, sveglio; [ old person] arzillo2) (attentive) vigile, attento2.to be alert to — essere consapevole di [danger, fact, possibility]
nome allarme m.II [ə'lɜːt]to be on the alert for — stare in guardia contro [ danger]
1) allertare, mettere in stato d'allerta2)to alert sb. to — mettere qcn. in guardia contro [ danger]; richiamare l'attenzione di qcn. su [fact, situation]
* * *[ə'lə:t] 1. adjective1) (quick-thinking: She's very old but still very alert.) sveglio, pronto2) ((with to) watchful and aware: You must be alert to danger.) vigile2. noun(a signal to be ready for action.) allarme3. verb(to make (someone) alert; to warn: The sound of gunfire alerted us to our danger.) mettere in guardia/stato d'allarme- alertly- alertness
- on the alert* * *I 1. [ə'lɜːt]1) (lively) [ child] vivace, sveglio; [ old person] arzillo2) (attentive) vigile, attento2.to be alert to — essere consapevole di [danger, fact, possibility]
nome allarme m.II [ə'lɜːt]to be on the alert for — stare in guardia contro [ danger]
1) allertare, mettere in stato d'allerta2)to alert sb. to — mettere qcn. in guardia contro [ danger]; richiamare l'attenzione di qcn. su [fact, situation]
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17 alive
[ə'laɪv]1) (living) vivo, in vita (anche fig.)to keep sb., sth. alive — tenere qcn., qcs. in vita
to bury sb. alive — seppellire vivo qcn.
2) (lively) [person, mind] vivaceto come alive — [party, place] animarsi, vivacizzarsi; [ history] rivivere
to keep [sth.] alive — conservare, mantenere (vivo) [tradition, memory]
4) (teeming)alive with — brulicante di [ insects]
5) (aware)alive to — conscio, consapevole di [ possibility]
* * *1) (living and not dead: Queen Victoria was still alive in 1900.) vivo2) (full of activity: The town was alive with policemen on the day of the march.) brulicante•- alive to* * *[ə'laɪv]1) (living) vivo, in vita (anche fig.)to keep sb., sth. alive — tenere qcn., qcs. in vita
to bury sb. alive — seppellire vivo qcn.
2) (lively) [person, mind] vivaceto come alive — [party, place] animarsi, vivacizzarsi; [ history] rivivere
to keep [sth.] alive — conservare, mantenere (vivo) [tradition, memory]
4) (teeming)alive with — brulicante di [ insects]
5) (aware)alive to — conscio, consapevole di [ possibility]
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18 avenue
['ævənjuː] [AE -nuː]1) (lined with trees) viale m.; AE (wide street) via f., corso m.; (path, driveway) viale m.2) fig. (possibility) possibilità f.* * *['ævinju:]1) (a road, often with trees along either side.) viale2) ((often abbreviated to Ave. when written) a word used in the names of certain roads or streets: His address is 14 Swan Avenue.) viale* * *['ævənjuː] [AE -nuː]1) (lined with trees) viale m.; AE (wide street) via f., corso m.; (path, driveway) viale m.2) fig. (possibility) possibilità f. -
19 can
I [ forma debole kən] [ forma forte kæn]6) (have skill, knowledge to)7) (have ability, power to)I cannot understand why — non capisco o non riesco a capire perché
8) (have ability, using senses, to)9) (indicating capability, tendency)10) (expressing likelihood, assumption)if you want to chat, you can leave — se volete chiacchierare, potete farlo fuori
you can get lost! — colloq. va' al diavolo! va' a quel paese!
"can we borrow it?" - "you can" — "possiamo prenderlo in prestito?" - "certo"
"can anyone give me a lift home?" - "we can" — "qualcuno può darmi un passaggio a casa?" - "sì, noi"
••II [kæn]no can do — colloq. non posso
1) (of food) barattolo m., scatola f.; (aerosol) bomboletta f.; (for petrol) fusto m., bidone m., latta f.; (of drink) lattina f.2) pop. (lavatory) cesso m., latrina f.3) colloq. (prison) galera f., gattabuia f.••a can of worms — un imbroglio, un bel po' di marcio
to be in the can — colloq. [ film] essere pronto per la distribuzione; [ negotiations] essere cosa fatta
III [kæn]to carry the can for sb. — colloq. prendersi la colpa al posto di qcn
1) gastr. inscatolare, mettere in scatola [fruit, vegetables]2) colloq.* * *[kæn] I negative - can't; verb1) (to be able to: You can do it if you try hard.)2) (to know how to: Can you drive a car?)3) ((usually may) to have permission to: You can go if you behave yourself.)4) (used in questions to indicate surprise, disbelief etc: What can he be doing all this time?)II 1. noun(a metal container for liquids and many types of food: oil-can; beer-can; six cans of beer.)2. verb(to put (especially food) into cans, usually to preserve it: a factory for canning raspberries.)- canned- cannery* * *I [ forma debole kən] [ forma forte kæn]6) (have skill, knowledge to)7) (have ability, power to)I cannot understand why — non capisco o non riesco a capire perché
8) (have ability, using senses, to)9) (indicating capability, tendency)10) (expressing likelihood, assumption)if you want to chat, you can leave — se volete chiacchierare, potete farlo fuori
you can get lost! — colloq. va' al diavolo! va' a quel paese!
"can we borrow it?" - "you can" — "possiamo prenderlo in prestito?" - "certo"
"can anyone give me a lift home?" - "we can" — "qualcuno può darmi un passaggio a casa?" - "sì, noi"
••II [kæn]no can do — colloq. non posso
1) (of food) barattolo m., scatola f.; (aerosol) bomboletta f.; (for petrol) fusto m., bidone m., latta f.; (of drink) lattina f.2) pop. (lavatory) cesso m., latrina f.3) colloq. (prison) galera f., gattabuia f.••a can of worms — un imbroglio, un bel po' di marcio
to be in the can — colloq. [ film] essere pronto per la distribuzione; [ negotiations] essere cosa fatta
III [kæn]to carry the can for sb. — colloq. prendersi la colpa al posto di qcn
1) gastr. inscatolare, mettere in scatola [fruit, vegetables]2) colloq. -
20 discount
I ['dɪskaʊnt]nome comm. ribasso m.; (on minor purchase) riduzione f.; econ. sconto m.to give sb. a discount — fare uno sconto a qcn.
II ['dɪskaʊnt] III [dɪs'kaʊnt] [AE 'dɪskaʊnt]to buy sth. at a discount — comprare qcs. in sconto
verbo transitivo (reject) scartare [idea, possibility]; non tenere conto di [advice, report]* * *1. noun(a (small) sum taken off the price of something: He gave me a discount of 20%.) sconto2. verb(to leave aside as something not to be considered: You can discount most of what he says - it's nearly all lies!) sminuire l'importanza di, non tenere conto di* * *I ['dɪskaʊnt]nome comm. ribasso m.; (on minor purchase) riduzione f.; econ. sconto m.to give sb. a discount — fare uno sconto a qcn.
II ['dɪskaʊnt] III [dɪs'kaʊnt] [AE 'dɪskaʊnt]to buy sth. at a discount — comprare qcs. in sconto
verbo transitivo (reject) scartare [idea, possibility]; non tenere conto di [advice, report]
См. также в других словарях:
Possibility — is the condition or fact of being possible. The Latin origins of the word hint at ability. Possibility also refers to something that could happen , that is not precluded by the facts, but usually not probable. Impossible denotes that something is … Wikipedia
possibility — I noun achievability, anticipation, attainability, availability, chance, conceivability, conceivableness, expectance, expectancy, expectation, facultas, favorable opportunity, favorable prospect, feasibility, gamble, hope, likelihood, opportunity … Law dictionary
Possibility — Pos si*bil i*ty, n.; pl. {Possibilities}. [F. possibilit[ e], L. possibilitas.] 1. The quality or state of being possible; the power of happening, being, or existing. All possibility of error. Hooker. Latent possibilities of excellence. Johnson.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
possibility — late 14c., “condition of being possible,” from O.Fr. possibilité (13c.), from L. possibilitas, from possibilis (see POSSIBLE (Cf. possible)). Meaning “a possible thing or substance” is from c.1400. Related: Possibilities … Etymology dictionary
possibility — [n] feasibility, likelihood; chance achievability, action, attainableness, break, circumstance, contingency, fair shake*, fifty fifty*, fling*, fluke*, fortuity, happening, hazard, hope, incident, instance, liability, likeliness, occasion,… … New thesaurus
possibility — ► NOUN (pl. possibilities) 1) a thing that is possible. 2) the state or fact of being possible. 3) (possibilities) unspecified qualities of a promising nature … English terms dictionary
possibility — [päs΄ə bil′ə tē] n. [ME possibilite < LL possibilitas] 1. the quality or condition of being possible 2. pl. possibilities something that is possible … English World dictionary
possibility */*/*/ — UK [ˌpɒsəˈbɪlətɪ] / US [ˌpɑsəˈbɪlətɪ] noun Word forms possibility : singular possibility plural possibilities Get it right: possibility: The noun possibility is never followed by an infinitive. Use the pattern the/a possibility of doing something … English dictionary
possibility — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ exciting, interesting, intriguing ▪ endless, many ▪ The resort offers endless possibilities for entertainment. ▪ only … Collocations dictionary
possibility — n. 1) to raise a possibility 2) to exclude, rule out a possibility 3) a good, strong; remote, slim possibility 4) a possibility of (there is a strong possibility of snow) 5) a possibility that + clause (there s a strong possibility that the… … Combinatory dictionary
possibility — pos|si|bil|i|ty W2S2 [ˌpɔsıˈbılıti US ˌpa: ] n plural possibilities 1.) [U and C] if there is a possibility that something is true or that something will happen, it might be true or it might happen ▪ There s always a possibility that he might go… … Dictionary of contemporary English