conceivable

Conceivable is an adjective meaning capable of being conceived, imagined, or mentally grasped; something that could be believed or accepted as possible in principle. In ordinary use, it often introduces hypothetical or unlikely scenarios: "It is conceivable that the project could succeed despite the risks." The related adverb is conceivably.

Etymology: from late Latin concipere "to take in, conceive" through Old French concevable, with the suffix -able to yield "able to be conceived."

Nuance and usage: Conceivable conveys possibility in principle rather than certainty or practicality. A claim can be conceivable without being true or feasible; it contrasts with inconceivable, and with merely probable or likely. In some contexts it is almost interchangeable with possible, though conceivability emphasizes mental grasp and plausibility rather than empirical likelihood.

Philosophical context: In discussions of modality, conceivability is used as a tool for assessing possible worlds—though conceivability does not guarantee metaphysical possibility, because hidden constraints may exist. Thought experiments frequently hinge on whether a scenario is conceivable to the mind, even if it may fail to occur in reality. The phrase "conceivably" is common in rational arguments and speculative writing.

Examples: "A universe with different physical constants is conceivably possible," "The idea of a square circle is inconceivable."

See also: possible, imaginable, plausible, feasible.