inconceivable

[ in-kuhn-see-vuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not conceivable; unimaginable; unthinkable
2. unbelievable; incredible.

inconceivable

/ ˌɪnkənˈsiːvəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being conceived, imagined, or considered

Derived Forms

• ˌinconˈceivably, adverb
• ˌinconˌceivaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• incon·ceiva·bili·ty incon·ceiva·ble·ness noun
• incon·ceiva·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of inconceivable¹

First recorded in 1625–35; in- ³ + conceivable

Example Sentences

This is at once unsurprising, since he had so spectacularly destroyed himself in his 60 years on earth, and inconceivable.

From Quartz

If the idea of that is just inconceivable to you, then I hope you’ll consider taking the whole father issue to therapy.

From Washington Post

This is a failure of the election machine in a way that just one year ago might have seemed inconceivable.

From MIT Technology Review

Castañeda told the Blade the idea of ​​a “deflected bullet” that struck the ground and ended Giraldo’s life is inconceivable because the type of weapons that soldiers use shoots multiple bullets and not just one.

From Washington Blade

It’s inconceivable that Russia and China will not launch similar plans.

From Ozy

Or—just as inconceivable and absurd—sentencing entire generations of North Korean families to labor camps.

From The Daily Beast

This spring, the protests of the last few days were inconceivable.

From The Daily Beast

We have to shorten the distance between inevitable and inconceivable.

From The Daily Beast

On Thursday, a nuclear exchange was, at least for most people, inconceivable.

From The Daily Beast

Europe, we thought, was a place where national borders were finally set in stone and conventional war was simply inconceivable.

From The Daily Beast

Don't you remember my telling you that Liszt has an inconceivable lightness, swiftness and smoothness of execution?

From Project Gutenberg

An inconceivable revolution in the thought of the English speaking peoples has taken place in respect to it.

From Project Gutenberg

It would have seemed inconceivable before, that a man of great wealth should give one-half of his income to the state.

From Project Gutenberg

It was thrown by a very dirty lamp, and disclosed a small court of unutterable meanness and inconceivable smells.

From Project Gutenberg

And from all sides in wild confusion flewThe dust and leaves, the branches and the stones,With hideous tumult, inconceivable.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• extraordinary
• implausible
• impossible
• improbable
• incredible
• mind-boggling
• strange
• unbelievable
• unheard-of
• unimaginable
• unthinkable