preconceive
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What does preconceive mean? Preconceive means to form an opinion or idea about something before you know anything factual or see any results, as in I don’t preconceive ideas about foods I haven’t tried yet. Preconceive is almost always used in the past tense, as in Watching the film confirmed Raul’s preconceived belief that he would hate it. Preconceive often implies that the reason a person formed an opinion ahead of time is because they have biases or prejudices that are influencing them. For example, you might be biased against vegetables because you haven’t liked any of the ones you’ve tried so far. That bias might lead you to have a preconceived idea that you won’t like a vegetable you’ve never eaten before. But you’ll only know if you like it by trying it. Preconceive is commonly used in the phrase preconceived notions, as in The man’s preconceived notions about rap music prevented him from giving it a fair chance.
Etymology
Origin of preconceive
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.
See Examples For:
You will realize many things when you are open to that, and not anticipate and not preconceive and truly be present because that is when you’re going to find everything.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 23, 2021
How little did I preconceive the conduct which, in an exigence like this, I should be prone to adopt!
From The Lock and Key Library The most interesting stories of all nations: American by Hawthorne, Julian
How little did I preconceive the conduct which, in an exigence like this, I should be prone to adopt.
From Wieland: or, the Transformation, an American Tale by Brown, Charles Brockden
“This course is really about getting people to free their minds from preconceived ideas,” Beshir says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Delevingne said she has used humour and being self-deprecating in the past but had to learn to take herself more seriously when it came to music, knowing that people will have preconceived ideas about her.
From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026
Generally, he did not prepare before starting a project, wanting to go in without preconceived ideas and using the shoot as his research.
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
The Hell Cats, as a group, challenge voters’ preconceived notions about who can lead in the United States.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
Conventional advertisers have preconceived ideas about what makes an advertisement work: humor, splashy graphics, a celebrity endorser.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Preconceit′, a preconceived notion; Preconcep′tion, act of preconceiving: previous opinion formed without actual knowledge.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
The first three lines happily state the nature and foundation of the friendship between him and Iago,—the purse,—as also the contrast of Roderigo's intemperance of mind with Iago's coolness,—the coolness of a preconceiving experimenter.
From Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher by Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
I can only express my firm conviction that he was totally incapable of preconceiving such a scheme.
From The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, Volume I, No. 9. September, 1880 by Walker, Aaron
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.
