conceivable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- conceivability noun
- conceivableness noun
- conceivably adverb
Etymology
Origin of conceivable
Explanation
If you see yellowish skies on a humid, spring evening in Kansas, it is entirely conceivable that a tornado is in the making. That is to say, it's imaginable or even possible, so make sure you take every conceivable precaution. If you conceive of something, you imagine or think of it. So, it makes sense that the adjective conceivable describes things that can be imagined or thought of. People often use the word conceivable in extreme contexts. If you look everywhere for your homework but still can't find it, you might declare, "I searched in every conceivable location! My homework must have disappeared." In response, your teacher might remark that disappearing homework is inconceivable, or "impossible to imagine."
Vocabulary lists containing conceivable
Ungifted
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 6
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Hard Times
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For decades, closure of the strait was regarded as something that was conceivable in theory, but operationally improbable in practice, Morgan Stanley noted.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
Could they run simulations based on every conceivable shot played in an end, for example?
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
It turns out that the entire planet below the clouds has been flooded, and this is the only conceivable living arrangement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
That includes a clean tech industry that leads the world in almost every conceivable category, though Wang explores other domains as well.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025
Dr. Calvin masked impatience, “It doesn’t make much sense, I admit, in lay language; but there is no conceivable use in presenting the mathematics of this. I assure you, it is as I say.”
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
