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

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.

Example Sentences

McCardel found that the job required an ability to conceptualize problems in a way that bordered on the philosophical.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 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

“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

But how do we conceptualize them outside of this mold?

From Salon • Aug. 10, 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