conception
Americannoun
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conceptions
plural
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the act of conceiving; the state of being conceived.
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fertilization; inception of pregnancy.
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She has some odd conceptions about life.
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something that is conceived.
That machine is the conception of a genius.
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origination; beginning.
The organization has been beset by problems from its conception.
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a sketch of something not actually existing.
an artist's conception of ancient Athens.
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the act or power of forming notions, ideas, or concepts.
noun
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something conceived; notion, idea, design, or plan
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the description under which someone considers something
her conception of freedom is wrong
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the fertilization of an ovum by a sperm in the Fallopian tube followed by implantation in the womb
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origin or beginning
from its conception the plan was a failure
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the act or power of forming notions; invention
Usage
What are other ways to say conception? A conception is a notion or idea that seems complete, individual, or somewhat intricate. Do you know when to use conception, thought, idea, and notion? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of conception
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English concepcion from Latin conceptiōn- (stem of conceptiō ), equivalent to Latin concept- ( see concept) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Conception means any idea or concept, or a sum of ideas and concepts. Your conception for designing the little girl's room with a princess theme was a hit. Her evil stepsisters are jealous. The noun conception can also mean a beginning — of anything in general, or of a pregnancy, specifically. August 15 marked the anniversary of the conception of your design business. Your parents told me their youngest child has been a holy terror since conception. So, do you get along with your older siblings?
Vocabulary lists containing conception
Franklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)
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"Jane Eyre" -- Chapters I-IV
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 3
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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:
American Orthodox Jews maintain a widespread faith in a personalized conception of God.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The two have worked with the artist since 2009, and in previous presentations he approached the conception and installation as a kind of director.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The research suggests that an individual's biology may reflect more than the DNA inherited at conception.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
But trauma triggers can be an issue when conception happens outside a clinic, in the context of a loving relationship—and they can be scary to deal with.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
They, he maintains, do not have an adequate conception of an omnipotent god.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
A book published last month in the Netherlands reminds us how vast is the difference between the West’s conceptions of interest and Mr. Putin’s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Over centuries, similar conceptions of alien harbors grew in the minds of mystics and scientists, sometimes leading to fatal clashes with dominant religious doctrines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
But TV had never seen anything quite like the Krofft shows, with its Day-Glo aesthetic, crazy conceptions and combination of puppets, costume puppets and costumed human characters into a half-hour comedy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
These aspirations speak to customers’ greatest desires, their dreams for the future, and their conceptions of who they are and who they strive to be.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 27, 2026
There is a fundamental difference between these two conceptions of the Scientific Revolution.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
