Could: meaning, definitions and examples

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could

 

[ kʊd ]

Verb / Modal verb / Noun
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Verb

general

past of can

Synonyms

managed to, was able to

Examples of usage

  • I could swim when I was younger.
  • He could speak three languages fluently.
Context #2 | Modal verb

possibility

used to express possibility

Synonyms

may, might

Examples of usage

  • It could rain later.
  • She could be at home by now.
Context #3 | Noun

slang

a prison sentence

Synonyms

jail time, prison term

Examples of usage

  • He got a five-year stretch in the can for his crime.

Translations

Translations of the word "could" in other languages:

🇵🇹 poderia

🇮🇳 सकता था (sakta tha)

🇩🇪 könnte

🇮🇩 bisa

🇺🇦 міг

🇵🇱 mógł

🇯🇵 できた (dekita)

🇫🇷 pourrait

🇪🇸 podría

🇹🇷 olabilir

🇰🇷 할 수 있었다 (hal su iss-eossda)

🇸🇦 قد

🇨🇿 mohl

🇸🇰 mohol

🇨🇳 可以 (kěyǐ)

🇸🇮 bi lahko

🇮🇸 gæti

🇰🇿 мүмкін

🇬🇪 შეძლო (shezlo)

🇦🇿 bilərdi

🇲🇽 podría

Word origin

The word 'could' originates from the Old English word 'cun' which meant 'know how to'. Over time, it evolved to 'couth' meaning 'known', and eventually to 'could' as we know it today. The modal use of 'could' to express possibility developed in Middle English. The slang term for a prison sentence likely comes from the idea of being 'contained' or 'imprisoned'.

See also: can, canal, cane, canine, caning, canister, canning, cannot, canopy, canteen.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #49, this is one of the most fundamental words in English. It's absolutely essential to master this word as it forms the backbone of English communication and appears in almost every conversation or text.