Can a Nordic Semiconductor nRF24L01+ be powered by 5V?
practically, can I power this chip from a regulated Vcc of 5V?


No. The chip can take a maximum of 3.6V as its supply. And since its supply current is so low (&lt;15mA) you can use one of those SOT-23 voltage regulators, so no reason not to.


  what is the difference of "supply range" and "maximum input voltage" ?


You must keep its supply voltage within its supply voltage range. You can apply a higher voltage at its digital inputs, i.e. connect a 5V CMOS output to one of the chip's inputs directly.