conceptualize

American  

[kuhn-sep-choo-uh-lahyz] / kənˈsɛp tʃu əˌlaɪz /

especially British, conceptualise

verb (used with object)

conceptualized, conceptualizing

1. to form into a concept; make a concept of.

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verb (used without object)

conceptualized, conceptualizing

1. to form a concept; think in concepts.

conceptualize British  

/ kənˈsɛptjʊəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to form (a concept or concepts) out of observations, experience, data, etc

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Other Word Forms

• conceptualization noun
• conceptualizer noun
• reconceptualize verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of conceptualize

First recorded in 1875–80; conceptual + -ize

Example Sentences

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

Shafir likes to use the image of a suitcase to help people conceptualize their budget.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

“For a lot of people watching beach volleyball for the first time, it’s really hard to conceptualize how wind, how deep the sand is, might affect play,” Newberry said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2025

Historical and contemporary examples can help conceptualize the establishment of such a scheme.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2024

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