art of the possible

noun

pragmatism, realism

OriginGerman Kunst des Möglichen →
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Meanings

nounthe art of the possible
  1. governmentpragmatism, realism

Origin

  1. GermanKunst des Möglichen
  2. Englishart of the possible

Calque of German Kunst des Möglichen, coined by Otto von Bismarck. The possible is here a singular nominalised adjective, meaning “that which is possible”.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

art of the possible. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/art%20of%20the%20possible

MLA

“art of the possible.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/art%20of%20the%20possible. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “art of the possible,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/art%20of%20the%20possible.

Source: art of the possible on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.