conceptual
Americanadjective
adjective
-
relating to or concerned with concepts; abstract
-
concerned with the definitions or relations of the concepts of some field of enquiry rather than with the facts
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conceptual
First recorded in 1655–65; Medieval Latin conceptuālis; see conceptus, -al 1
Explanation
Something is conceptual when it deals primarily with abstract or original thoughts. A conceptual plan is one in an early stage. To make it work, you'll need to flesh out the details. Conceptual art is art in which the concept seems more important than the physical aspects of the artwork. In New York's Museum of Modern Art, you can see Marcel DuChamp's conceptual piece, "Bicycle Wheel," which is a bicycle wheel mounted on a stool. Why is this art? The concept, or idea, behind it is that everyday objects become art when looked at outside of their uses. In general, when something is conceptual it takes a bit of thought to figure it out.
Vocabulary lists containing conceptual
On a Pedestal: Marble-ous Words for Sculpture
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Awkward
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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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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.
Disillusioned by painting around 1913, Duchamp employed these objects to shift art from optical pleasure to conceptual provocation.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
Thumbing its nose at the blockchain while offering a technodystopic vision of the Freudian death drive, it’s conceptual art with a serious message that refuses to take itself too seriously.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
When she came to “Rooster,” she said, Cristle was a conceptual kernel she teased into a labyrinth.
From Salon • May 11, 2026
It didn’t take a miracle, only a complete conceptual overhaul.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The transmission of hereditary traits was just one instance of information flow—but if you looked deeply, squinting your conceptual lenses, it was easy to imagine information moving pervasively through the entire living world.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
