Abstract
We address the problem on how newly invented concepts are evaluated with respect to a background ontology of conceptual knowledge so as to decide which of them are to be accepted into a system of familiar concepts, and how this, in turn, may affect the previously accepted conceptualisation. As technique to tackle this problem we explore the applicability of Paul Thagard's computational theory of coherence. In particular, we propose a formalisation of Thagard's notion of conceptual coherence for concepts represented in the AL description logic and explore by means of an illustrative example the role coherence may play in the process of conceptual blending.