conceptualize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have conceptualizedperfect
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has conceptualizedperfect 3rd person singular
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is conceptualizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been conceptualizingperfect progressive
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conceptualizessingular 3rd person
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conceptualizingparticiple
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am conceptualizingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been conceptualizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are conceptualizingprogressive
Past
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had conceptualizedperfect
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conceptualizedparticiple
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were conceptualizingprogressive plural
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conceptualizedsimple
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had been conceptualizingperfect progressive
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was conceptualizingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of conceptualize
First recorded in 1875–80; conceptual + -ize
Explanation
If you have an idea for something, or if you understand something fully, you conceptualize it. You might conceptualize the plan for a big party, but find it hard to conceptualize exactly how the big bang worked. In conceptualize, you see the word concept which means an idea. Don't think of a simple idea though, like taking a walk. Imagine a complex concept involving many elements, so a little brain work is involved. When you conceptualize, you either create a concept or you grasp one. The idea of man landing on the moon was conceptualized hundreds of years before it was planned or achieved.
Vocabulary lists containing conceptualize
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.
Its roots are in imagination, which means there are plenty of additional narratives to conceptualize.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
Teaming up with China’s prestigious Zhejiang University, Bosideng launched its own AI model to conceptualize designs and produce virtual garments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
Numbers this big can be hard to conceptualize, so Dow Jones Market Data sought to put some context around Nvidia’s next threshold.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025
He said, “I appreciate that, but can you even conceptualize the output you will need on this show? I watched Sarah Michelle suffer for seven years. Everything was on her shoulders.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2025
Thus historians who take language seriously need to search out the emergence of new languages, which must represent transformations in what people can think and how they can conceptualize their world.
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.
