could

English Online Dictionary. What means could‎? What does could mean?

English

Alternative forms

• coulde (archaic)
• couldst, couldest, could'st (archaic second-person singular)
• coud, cou'd (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English coude, couthe, cuthe, from Old English cūþe, past indicative and past subjunctive form of cunnan (“to be able”) (compare related cūþ, whence English couth).

The -l- in the spelling was added in the early 16th century by analogy with should and would; this analogy formerly affected the pronunciation as well and was probably assisted by the tendency for /l/ to be lost in those words (and so not written, leading to shudd, wode, etc).

Pronunciation

• (stressed form) IPA^(key): /kʊd/, [kʰʊd]
• (unstressed form) IPA^(key): /kəd/, [kʰəd]
• (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA^(key): /kʉd/
• (Early Modern) IPA^(key): /kuːld/, (originally unstressed) /kʊ(l)d/
• Rhymes: -ʊd

Verb

could

1. simple past of can

2. conditional of can
   1. Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).

      I think he could do it if he really wanted to.

      I wish I could fly!

   1. Used to politely ask for permission to do something.

   2. Used to politely ask for someone else to do something.

   3. Used to show the possibility that something might happen.

   4. Used to suggest something.

3. (obsolete except Geordie) past participle of can

Usage notes

• Some speakers and writers consider it wrong to use could to refer to permission. Such people favor replacing it with might, just as they favor replacing can with may when referring to permission.

Derived terms

Related terms

• can
• should
• would

Noun

could (plural coulds)

1. Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.

See also

• Appendix:English modal verbs
• Appendix:English tag questions

References

Anagrams

• Cloud, cloud, culdo-