conceivable reason

USAGE SUMMARY

"conceivable reason" is correct and usable in written English in many contexts.
For example: "I can't think of any conceivable reason why we wouldn't hire her."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

36 human-written examples

It seems as logical as any other conceivable reason.

The New York Times - Science

Racism was the only conceivable reason for lining up with the Republican candidate.

The Guardian - Opinion

The only conceivable reason to read about all this is that old habits die hard.

The New York Times - Books

"He has no motives to lie, no conceivable reason to testify against his best friend.

The New York Times - Sports

"I can't imagine any conceivable reason for withholding the grant on the basis of the subject matter of the play," Mr. Kushner said yesterday.

The New York Times

The only conceivable reason for Mr Khamenei's failure to countenance their arrest was his fear of turning adversaries into martyrs.In the first week of January came an admonition.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

24 human-written examples

And this is one of the conceivable reasons why the current approaches focus on "how to do personalization" rather than "how personalization can be done well," as Fan and Poole [41] has noted.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

There are several conceivable reasons for our observations.

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

At least at high siRNA concentrations, competitive effects during lipofection or saturation of RISC are conceivable reasons for the failure to observe synergistic effects.

Antiviral Research

Moreover, the decision of whether a test is performed or not ultimately remains in the physician's responsibility; conceivable reasons for not performing a PERT assay include transient stay in the country or costs.

BMC Infectious Diseases

One of the conceivable reasons for this type of finding would be that a statin user might have been more compliant for gastroscopy screening, which led to early detection.

BMC Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "conceivable reason", ensure the context clearly establishes what is being explained or justified. The phrase is most effective when used to dismiss unlikely or unsupported explanations, as in "There's no conceivable reason why this should fail."

Common error

Avoid using "conceivable reason" when a more definitive explanation is available. Using it in place of a known cause can weaken your argument or suggest a lack of understanding.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "conceivable reason" functions as a noun phrase, typically acting as the object of a preposition or a complement. It describes a possible explanation or justification that is within the realm of understanding or imagination. As seen in Ludwig, it is commonly used in diverse contexts to denote a plausible cause or motive.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "conceivable reason" is a commonly used noun phrase that denotes a possible and understandable explanation or justification. Analysis of its usage through Ludwig shows that it appears frequently in News & Media and Science contexts, indicating a neutral register appropriate for diverse audiences. While grammatically correct and commonly employed, it's essential to use it when a definitive explanation isn't available or when dismissing unlikely causes. As highlighted by Ludwig, alternative phrases like "possible explanation" or "plausible justification" can offer stylistic variations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

possible explanation

Replaces "reason" with "explanation", focusing on the explanatory aspect.

plausible justification

Substitutes "conceivable" with "plausible" and "reason" with "justification", implying a defensible motive.

credible explanation

Highlights the believability of the explanation.

understandable motive

Focuses on the motivational aspect, suggesting a reason that can be easily understood.

defensible motive

Emphasizes that the reason is justifiable and can be defended.

imaginable cause

Emphasizes the causal aspect, suggesting a cause that is within the realm of possibility.

potential cause

Highlights that the reason is a possible cause.

thinkable rationale

Replaces "reason" with "rationale", suggesting a more formal and structured justification.

apparent justification

Focuses on the surface-level justification.

likely rationale

Implies the reason is probable and well-reasoned.

FAQs

How can I use "conceivable reason" in a sentence?

You can use "conceivable reason" to express that something is a possible or imaginable explanation for a situation. For example, "I can't think of any "conceivable reason" why they would refuse the offer."

What's a more formal alternative to "conceivable reason"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "plausible justification" or "thinkable rationale".

Is "conceivable reason" interchangeable with "possible reason"?

While similar, "conceivable reason" suggests something is within the realm of imagination or understanding, whereas "possible reason" simply indicates a potential cause. They are often interchangeable, but "conceivable" adds a nuance of understandability.

When is it best to use "conceivable reason"?

Use "conceivable reason" when you want to emphasize that a reason is not only possible but also understandable or imaginable. It's effective when dismissing less likely explanations or causes.