imaginable
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɪmˈædʒɪnəbəl/
US
- /ˌɪˈmædʒənəbəl/
Description
- Possible
- Able to be imagined
- Thinkable
- Able to be pictured
- Within the mind
If something is imaginable, you can picture it in your mind, even if it seems unlikely or strange. It does not mean it will happen. It simply means your mind can form an idea of it. For example, a world without chocolate might feel impossible to some people, but it is still something we can think about.
Think of it this way: you can picture a person flying with wings, even though humans do not naturally have them. The stranger something is, the harder it may be to picture, but if you can still form some idea of it, then it fits the word. Writers often explore this space, creating worlds and situations that go beyond everyday life.
The word "imaginable" describes anything that is capable of being conceived or understood by the mind; it is simply possible to imagine. It implies a level of mental accessibility that goes beyond mere physical possibility. While traveling to a distant galaxy might be physically impossible with our current technology, it remains entirely imaginable; we can create detailed stories, films, and theories about it because our minds can bridge the gap where physics cannot.
Conversely, something truly beyond human comprehension would be considered "unimaginable." For example, trying to visualize a color that doesn't exist in our spectrum or picturing existence outside of time itself often falls into this category.
In everyday English, "imaginable" is frequently used as an intensifier following a noun to encompass all possibilities. You might hear phrases like "the worst imaginable outcome" or "every color imaginable." It also appears when discussing limits. A company might report that "demand for the new product exceeded all imaginable forecasts," suggesting that the reality was far beyond what anyone could have logically anticipated.
Sometimes, we use the word to express disbelief or to emphasize the scale of a situation. If a person faces a series of unfortunate events, they might be described as suffering through "every hardship imaginable." While not every thought is grounded in reality, the space of the imaginable is where creativity thrives, possibilities are explored, and the boundaries of our internal landscape are tested.
Examples
- 1
Organization
The app lets you organize your notes in every imaginable way.
- 2
Best possible
After the accident, she got the best care imaginable.
- 3
Worst case
In the worst imaginable case, the town could lose power for a week.
- 4
Technology change
Cheap video calls would have seemed unimaginable to most people in the 1980s.
- 5
Destruction scale
The war left destruction on an almost unimaginable scale.
Forms and spellings
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Main spelling
- imaginableadjective