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Synonyms

conceivable

American  
[kuhn-see-vuh-buhl] / kənˈsi və bəl /

adjective

  1. capable of being conceived; imaginable.


conceivable British  
/ kənˈsiːvəbəl /

adjective

  1. capable of being understood, believed, or imagined; possible

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • conceivability noun
  • conceivableness noun
  • conceivably adverb

Etymology

Origin of conceivable

1425–75; late Middle English. See conceive, -able

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing conceivable

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.

Asked when the vote could be held, he said it was "perfectly conceivable to have a second referendum by 2028".

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

That could mean these funds could be set to buy stocks in every conceivable scenario in the month of April, the analysts added.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

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

Mr. Klosterman aims to evaluate football from every conceivable angle, including the ethical question of whether such a violent sport should be banned.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

It is perhaps conceivable that a planet could survive the evolution of a star into a pulsar; or a planet could be captured at a later time.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan