thinkable

American

[thing-kuh-buhl] / ˈθɪŋ kə bəl /

adjective

capable of being thought; conceivable.
that may be considered as possible or likely.

thinkable British

/ ˈθɪŋkəbəl /

adjective

able to be conceived or considered; possible; feasible

"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

Etymology

Origin of thinkable

First recorded in 1850–55; think ¹ + -able

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.

A rate increase, once unthinkable, has become thinkable thanks to stubborn inflation, Iran and a resilient economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

But because of the people, things that seemed unthinkable suddenly were thinkable?

From Slate • Jul. 10, 2025

This was unthinkable at the start of the season given their pedigree, but it has become very thinkable in recent weeks, especially after the fearful going over they got when losing 4-2 in Paris.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2025

“He spent 11 and a half years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit and was put through every thinkable proceeding until the case was finally dismissed,” Seeger said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 2, 2024

It was a time when the unthinkable became thinkable and the impossible really happened.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023