concept

American  

[kon-sept] / ˈkɒn sɛpt /

noun

1. a general notion or idea; conception.

2. an idea of something formed by mentally combining all its characteristics or particulars; a construct.

3. a directly conceived or intuited object of thought.

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adjective

1. functioning as a prototype or model of new product or innovation.

   a concept car,

   a concept phone.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal. to develop a concept of; conceive.

   He concepted and produced three films.

concept British  

/ ˈkɒnsɛpt /

noun

1. an idea, esp an abstract idea

   the concepts of biology

2. philosophy a general idea or notion that corresponds to some class of entities and that consists of the characteristic or essential features of the class

3. philosophy

   1. the conjunction of all the characteristic features of something

   2. a theoretical construct within some theory

   3. a directly intuited object of thought

   4. the meaning of a predicate

4. (modifier) (of a product, esp a car) created as an exercise to demonstrate the technical skills and imagination of the designers, and not intended for mass production or sale

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Etymology

Origin of concept

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin conceptum “something conceived,” originally neuter of conceptus “conceived,” past participle of concipere “to conceive,” equivalent to con- con- ( def. ) + -cipere, combining form of capere “to seize”

Example Sentences

Town Center Drive in Santa Clarita and Birch Street Promenade in Brea are smaller examples of the town center concept that dates to the early 1990s, after the success of Reston Town Center in Virginia.

From Los Angeles Times

It was the boy’s first experience of death, a difficult concept for a young mind but an important precursor for a boy not given the luxury of existential innocence.

From Los Angeles Times

The High North has long been shielded by the concept of "Arctic exceptionalism" -- the notion that the region had its own set of unwritten rules of cooperation which were immune to geopolitical rivalries.

From Barron's

She said seeking support was made more difficult when people "didn't understand the Christian concept".

From BBC

Lunar is still in the concept phase, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• approach
• conception
• image
• notion
• perception
• theory
• thought
• view