feasibility
fee-zuh-BIL-ih-tee
/ˌfiːzəˈbɪlɪti/
The state or degree of being easily or conveniently done; the likelihood that a project will be successful.
Feasibility covers three main areas: technical (can we build it?), economic (can we afford it?), and operational (will it work in the real world?).
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'faisible', which comes from the Latin 'facere' (to do). It literally means 'do-able'.
Word relationships
- viability: Viability focuses on whether something can survive or be profitable long-term; feasibility focuses on whether it can be done at all.
- practicability: Practicability is a synonym but is less common in business contexts than feasibility.
- impracticability: The state of being impossible or too difficult to do.
Commonly confused with
- possibility: Possibility means it could happen; feasibility means it is practical to make it happen.
Word family
- feasible (adjective): Possible to do easily or conveniently.
- feasibly (adverb): In a way that is possible to do.
Collocations
- feasibility study
- economic feasibility
- technical feasibility
- assess the feasibility
Example sentences
- "We need to conduct a feasibility study before we commit any more funds to the project." Project Management
- "The feasibility of building a colony on Mars is still a subject of intense debate." Engineering
Memory hook
If it is 'feasible', it is 'easily done' (eas-ible). Is it 'do-able'?
When not to use
Don't use it to mean 'possibility'; something might be possible but not feasible due to cost or time.
Fun facts
- A 'feasibility study' is often the most expensive part of a large-scale engineering project because it requires so much data.
Explore more words
actionable, usability, implementation, resourceful, sustainability, Connectivity
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