preconception
Americannoun
-
an idea or opinion formed beforehand
-
a bias; prejudice
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of preconception
First recorded in 1615–25; pre- + conception
Explanation
A preconception is an idea or opinion you have about something before you really know much about it. You might have the preconception that all New Yorkers are rude until you visit the city and start meeting friendly people. Imagine you give your friend an assessment of a popular TV show, saying, "Oh, it's so boring!" despite the fact that you've never seen it. Your negative opinion of the show is a preconception — you may be correct about the show, but you won't know until you actually sit down a watch a few episodes. Preconception comes from pre, "before," and the Latin concipere, "to take in and hold."
Vocabulary lists containing preconception
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Primates
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Part 2 Vocabulary (Unit 5)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She urged women who’ve dealt with issues like anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder to make preconception and pregnancy appointments with care providers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
With a subject that can be as dark as this, I know some people aren’t ready to hear it or have a preconception of what the show will be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
The study, published this week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, also noted an association between preconception exposure to phthalates and changes in women's reproductive hormones, as well as increased inflammation and oxidative stress.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2023
"There's a preconception that it's older people who use Park," says the firm's director of marketing, Katherine Scott.
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2022
Then there are others where fable, myth, preconception, love, longing, or prejudice step in and so distort a cool, clear appraisal that a kind of high-colored magical confusion takes permanent hold.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Few are naive enough to think Supreme Court justices have no preconceptions about how a case will go.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
She adds: "Until people can see someone who looks like them in a role, preconceptions are difficult to shift."
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026
In Arizona, the overhaul started about a decade ago with the closing of underperforming, 6,000-square-foot locations that fit many people’s preconceptions of thrift as “that dark, dirty store on the corner,” O’Neal said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025
Does he believe, and act on, intelligence reports, especially those that rub against his preconceptions?
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2025
Imagine yourself a visitor from some other and quite alien planet, approaching Earth with no preconceptions.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
