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

“As goes January, so goes the year,” is a pithy version of the concept.

From Barron's

Stocks reversed losses Wednesday after the president said he had the “concept” of a deal that didn’t involve a military invasion External link.

From Barron's

FAT Brands, the owner of restaurant concepts including Fatburger and Johnny Rockets, has filed for bankruptcy amid legal troubles and a ballooning pile of debt.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s funny. Kids seem to grasp this concept a lot faster than adults. So how can I help you?”

From Literature

Governments at every level struggle with the concept of detailing what the “return on investment” is for public spending.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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