conceivably
Americanadverb
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as an outside chance; in a way that is possible, though not likely.
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in a way that is possible to conceive or imagine.
Explanation
Use the adverb conceivably when you're talking about something that is believable or possible. You could say, for example, that you'll conceivably still be on time to work after oversleeping, especially if you skip breakfast. You might tell your sister that you could conceivably go on every single ride at the state fair in an hour, if you move quickly and don't stop to eat fried dough. You could also say that your favorite baseball team might conceivably win the World Series next year. Conceivably comes from its adjective form, conceivable, and both words are rooted in the Latin concipere, which means "take in, hold, or grasp" and also "become pregnant."
Vocabulary lists containing conceivably
The Giver
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The Fault in Our Stars
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 4
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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.
Those are three areas of the job market where AI replacement would conceivably show, Richardson noted.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
“First, the possibility that he might say something false and be prosecutable for perjury under federal law. Second, possibility that something he said might conceivably be used by some state government to prosecute him criminally.”
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
The nature of free transfers means Vinicius could conceivably double his money next year.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Experts said that while an AI system could conceivably offer some advantages over humans, its accuracy would ultimately depend on the quality and quantity of signatures available for comparison.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Furthermore, since perceptions tend to become realities, the natural tendency of the mass media to accentuate the anomalous, combined with an innumerate society’s taste for such extremes, could conceivably have quite dire consequences.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
