Word
inconceivable
Phoneticsin·con·ceiv·able
US/ˌɪnkənˈsivəbəɫ/
UK/ɪnkənsˈiːvəbəl/
Definition
adj. impossible to imagine or believe. You use this when something is so strange or extreme that your mind cannot accept it as true.
adj. impossible to comprehend or grasp mentally; unthinkable. Often used to emphasize the extreme nature of a situation or a high degree of improbability.
Examples
“It is inconceivable that he would lie to us.”
“Before the invention of the internet, the idea of instant global communication was inconceivable to most people.”
“The scale of the disaster was so vast that the total cost of reconstruction seemed inconceivable to the local government officials tasked with the recovery.”
Examples
simple
“It is inconceivable that he would lie to us.”
contextual
“Before the invention of the internet, the idea of instant global communication was inconceivable to most people.”
complex
“The scale of the disaster was so vast that the total cost of reconstruction seemed inconceivable to the local government officials tasked with the recovery.”
Usage
Typically used as a predicative adjective after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'become'.
Pitfall
It is inconceivable for me that...
It is inconceivable to me that...
When expressing who finds something impossible to believe, use the preposition 'to' rather than 'for'.
Real-World Examples
“Environmental groups have said permitting extraction at the fields should be inconceivable after five heatwaves this summer, with Greenpeace saying it was a “Rubicon that he must not cross”.” “During the trial, Justice Cavanagh told the court "the degree of cruelty involved is almost inconceivable".” Etymology
From in- + conceivable.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/inconceivable