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meaning - What word is used to describe an event that will never occur?


If an event happens a lot in a small window of time, it is considered frequent. If it does not, it is considered rare. What about a possible event that has never happened and which is expected never to happen? What word would describe the frequency of that event?


For example how would you answer this question: "How often does a nuclear war occur in your lifetime?"



Answer



They are called impossible events or zero-probability events. You can see these terms in mathematics, physics, philosophy, and so on.


I can't think of anything besides never to describe such events in common parlance. But, depending on the context, asymptotic might prove a good fit.


P.S. As bib has mentioned in the comment below, the OP wants a possible event that has never occurred and will never occur. My suggestions might not qualify with this precondition. Then again, according to jwpat7, one of them might.


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