Tenkelighet

Tenkelighet is a Norwegian concept that denotes the quality or state of being thinkable or conceivable. Deriving from the verb tenke (to think) and the suffix -lighet (the quality or state of), the word captures the cognitive feasibility of ideas, hypotheses, or scenarios within a given mind, discourse, or cultural frame.

In scholarly use, tenkelighet is employed to discuss what can be imagined or contemplated, rather than what is true or probable. It is related but distinct from concepts such as plausibility, possibility, or intelligibility. While possibility concerns objective or contextual feasibility, and plausibility concerns likelihood, tenkelighet focuses on mental accessibility and the potential for a concept to be entertained in thought.

Applications include philosophy of mind and ethics, where researchers might assess whether a hypothetical situation falls within the boundaries of what agents can meaningfully reflect on; in pedagogy, to gauge what students can realistically imagine or reason about; and in linguistics, to describe the scope of ideas that a language and its speakers routinely articulate.

Critically, tenkelighet is not a universally standardized term; its precise meaning can vary across authors and disciplines, and it may be shaped by cultural and linguistic context. It is most often encountered in Norwegian-language discussions and is less common in international scholarly literature.