conceive
verb (used with object)
to form (a notion, opinion, purpose, etc.).
had conceived
-
past perfectof conceive.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Japan's late prime minister Shinzo Abe had conceived of the Quad, seeing the four democracies as like-minded in the face of China.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
"She received regular medical care during her pregnancy and was informed that she had conceived more than one baby. She had full and proper medical assistance throughout," Mohammed said, as he described her "excitement".
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Durov’s post last year that he had conceived more than 100 children drew a joking response from Musk, who himself has fathered at least 14 known children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
Hwang had conceived of Gi-hun's return to the Squid Game as one big arc, but ended up splitting it in two after his disastrous failure.
From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2024
Essentially, he was uncoiling the cyclotron that years earlier he had conceived by twisting Rolf Wideroe’s linear accelerator into a spiral.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
