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Added 10 October 2026

could

/kəd/ verb

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about could at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

simple past of can
Before I was blind, I could see very well.
conditional of can Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).
I think he could do it if he really wanted to.
Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).
I think he could do it if he really wanted to.

noun

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

Origin

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). Cognate with German konnte, Swedish kunde. 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).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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