conceive

[ kuhn-seev ]

verb (used with object)

, con·ceived, con·ceiv·ing.

1. to form (a notion, opinion, purpose, etc.):

   He conceived the project while he was on vacation.

2. to form a notion or idea of; imagine.
3. to hold as an opinion; think; believe:

   I can't conceive that it would be of any use.

4. to experience or form (a feeling):

   to conceive a great love for music.

5. to express, as in words.
6. to become pregnant with.
7. to beget.
8. to begin, originate, or found (something) in a particular way (usually used in the passive):

   a new nation conceived in liberty.

9. Archaic. to understand; comprehend.

verb (used without object)

, con·ceived, con·ceiv·ing.

1. to form an idea; think (usually followed by of ).
2. to become pregnant.

conceive

/ kənˈsiːv /

verb

1. whenintr, foll by of; when tr, often takes a clause as object to have an idea (of); imagine; think
2. tr; takes a clause as object or an infinitive to hold as an opinion; believe
3. tr to develop or form, esp in the mind

   she conceived a passion for music

4. to become pregnant with (young)
5. rare.
   tr to express in words

Derived Forms

• conˈceiver, noun

Other Words From

• con·ceiv·er noun
• non·con·ceiv·ing noun adjective
• re·con·ceive verb reconceived reconceiving

Word History and Origins

Origin of conceive¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English from Anglo-French, Old French conceivre, from Latin concipere “to take fully, take in,” equivalent to con- con- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”

Word History and Origins

Origin of conceive¹

C13: from Old French conceivre, from Latin concipere to take in, from capere to take

Synonym Study

See imagine.

Example Sentences

It was while taking one of Goldman’s theater classes that “Here I Am” was conceived.

From Washington Post

In this radical new paradigm, robots are conceived and born rather than designed and manufactured.

From Singularity Hub 

As for people breastfeeding or hoping to get pregnant, Afshar says it’s totally okay to get the vaccine whenever it becomes available, and there’s no reason to wait to start trying to conceive or begin fertility treatments.

From Popular-Science

Originally conceived as a “small house”, it started morphing into a “huge palace,” Kolesnikov tells Navalny in the video.

From Time

However we conceive of “us,” we have ample grounds for humility.

From Time

“The issue was how to conceive what the show was going to look and feel like,” says McKenzie.

From The Daily Beast

He even claims that hen partridges conceive just by smelling the scent of males.

From The Daily Beast

These military men find it hard to conceive that there might be no real policy at all.

From The Daily Beast

He also sounds better than the crossover children he helped conceive.

From The Daily Beast

Last year, as I began to conceive a novel, set in shadowy Istanbul, about the sale of a gray market antiquity worth millions.

From The Daily Beast

But these were to him things so obvious that he could not conceive any reasonable person doubting them.

From Project Gutenberg

Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel.

From Project Gutenberg

You shall conceive heat, you shall bring forth stubble: your breath as fire shall devour you.

From Project Gutenberg

I conceive that the strictest union of affection is requisite to conjugal felicity.

From Project Gutenberg

Let us enlarge our minds to grasp it, that we may, to some extent at least, conceive its greatness and appreciate its beauties.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• design
• develop
• devise
• dream up
• envision
• formulate
• originate
• produce
• realize
• visualize