an impossibility
1impossibility — im·pos·si·bil·i·ty n pl ties 1: the quality or state of being impossible; also: the affirmative defense that something (as performance) is impossible 2: something impossible 3: impossibility of performance in this entry fac·tu·al impossibili …
2impossibility of performance — Impossibility of accomplishment. Something beyond mere difficulty in performance. Impossibility having reference to the nature of the thing to be accomplished, not to the inability of the person. Mineral Park Land Co. v Howard, 172 Cal 289, 156 P …
3Impossibility — Im*pos si*bil i*ty, n.; pl. {Impossibilities}. [L. impossibilitas: cf. F. impossibilit[ e].] 1. The quality of being impossible; impracticability. [1913 Webster] They confound difficulty with impossibility. South. [1913 Webster] 2. An impossible… …
4impossibility of performance — see impossibility Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …
5impossibility, legal — n. A condition arising when a law makes it impossible for a person to do a particular act; e.g., a minor cannot make a valid will, so any will made by a minor is invalid because it is a legal impossibility. The Essential Law Dictionary. Sphinx… …
6impossibility — (n.) late 14c., quality of being impossible, from IMPOSSIBLE (Cf. impossible) + ITY (Cf. ity); perhaps from or modeled on Fr. impossibilité. Meaning an impossible thing or occurrence is from c.1500 …
7impossibility — [im päs΄ə bil′i tē] n. [OFr impossibilite < LL impossibilitas] 1. the fact or quality of being impossible 2. pl. impossibilities something impossible …
8Impossibility defense — An Impossibility defense is a criminal defense occasionally used when a defendant is accused of a criminal attempt that failed only because the crime was factually or legally impossible to commit.cite book first= last= authorlink= coauthors=… …
9Impossibility — (Roget s Thesaurus) < N PARAG:Impossibility >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 impossibility impossibility &c. >Adj. Sgm: N 1 what cannot what cannot what can never be Sgm: N 1 sour grapes sour grapes Sgm: N 1 hopelessness hopelessness &c. 859 P …
10impossibility — That which, in the constitution and course of nature or the law, no person can do or perform. Impossibility is of the following several sorts: An act is physically impossible when it is contrary to the course of nature. Such an impossibility may… …