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.
They’ve already built out their data centers rapidly and are now under pressure from the market to increase their returns on investment, which could conceivably involve reducing these major investments.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
Everyone hopes to win on their prediction-market bets, but losses in the Super Bowl could conceivably trim the tax bill for an investor who won in the stock market, Creech said.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026
There are a wide variety of missions it could conceivably support, including reconnaissance to prepare for strikes.
From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025
That is when the AI ecosystem conceivably could hit a wall, and where the parallels may lie with the original internet bubble and the circular deals of that era.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025
He realized he had heard something which conceivably might be important.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
