Thinkable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈθɪŋkəbəl/

Definitions

1. Feasible to envision or regard as within the realm of possibility
2. Able to be imagined or considered as a possibility despite uncertainty
3. Something that can be mentally grasped or pictured as a potential reality

Etymology: "Thinkable" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the verb "think" with the suffix "-able," meaning "capable of being." The suffix itself has a longer road. It traces back through Latin "-abilis" and Old French "-able" before arriving in Middle English, where it became one of the most productive ways to turn verbs into adjectives. "Think" has an older and more tangled history. It descends from a Proto-Germanic root that also gave rise to the Old English "þenċan," which meant to conceive mentally, to imagine, or to call to mind. Notably, the Old English verb was distinct from "þyncan," meaning to seem, and the two were often confused over the centuries until the sense of mental activity won out. Whatever its exact origin, "thinkable" simply means that something can be conceived of in the mind. Its meaning sits neatly alongside its opposite, "unthinkable," which is often used in a looser sense to describe something that seems too shocking to consider.

Synonyms: conceivable, imaginable, possible

Antonyms: unthinkable, impossible