conceive

verb

con·​ceive kən-ˈsēv How to pronounce conceive (audio)
conceived; conceiving

transitive verb

1
a
: to become pregnant with (young)
conceive a child
b
: to cause to begin : originate
a project conceived by the company's founder
2
a
: to take into one's mind
conceive a prejudice
b
: to form a conception of : imagine
a badly conceived design
cleverly conceived teleplays
3
: to apprehend by reason or imagination : understand
unable to conceive his reasons
It is easy enough to conceive the notion that your island is a sort of fortress.Paul Theroux
4
: to have as an opinion
I cannot conceive that he acted alone.

intransitive verb

1
: to become pregnant
2
: to have a conception
usually used with of
conceives of death as emptiness
It is hard to conceive of all the work that must have been involved in starting off from scratch.Harold Fromm
conceiver noun
Choose the Right Synonym for conceive

think, conceive, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision mean to form an idea of.

think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation
envisioned a cure for the disease

Examples of conceive in a Sentence

When the writer conceived this role, he had a specific actor in mind to play the part. As conceived by the committee, the bill did not raise taxes. a woman who has been unable to conceive a woman who has been unable to conceive a child
Recent Examples on the Web It was initially conceived to celebrate Alaska’s centennial in 1967. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 14 Mar. 2024 The documentary was originally conceived as a behind-the-scenes look exploring Williams’ comeback via a new podcast. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 The project was conceived as a submission and selected for the maiden edition of animation festival Annecy’s residency for first-time features in 2021. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 The platform was conceived by Javier Burgos, a biomedical researcher at Jaume I University in Spain. Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 11 Mar. 2024 Below, check out the video, which Bey conceived and Chassidy David directed; Jason James choreographed the dance sequences, which take place in a smoky jazz bar. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2024 Kent has been open about conceiving a second baby via intrauterine insemination (IUI) — a treatment where sperm is surgically placed in a uterus to fertilize an egg. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Knowing my parents’ penchant for the great outdoors, I was probably conceived on a camping trip. Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024 Bruce and Diane lost a child before Laura was born On the night that Bruce invited Diane to his New Jersey home, the couple conceived their first child. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conceive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French conceivre, from Latin concipere to take in, conceive, from com- + capere to take — more at heave entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of conceive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conceive

Cite this Entry

“Conceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conceive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

conceive

verb
con·​ceive kən-ˈsēv How to pronounce conceive (audio)
conceived; conceiving
1
: to become pregnant or pregnant with
conceive a child
2
a
: to take into the mind
conceived a liking for the singer
b
: to form an idea of : imagine
conceive a new design
3
: to have as an opinion : think
conceived of her as a genius
conceivable
-ˈsē-və-bəl
adjective
conceivably
-blē
adverb
conceiver noun

Medical Definition

conceive

verb
con·​ceive kən-ˈsēv How to pronounce conceive (audio)
conceived; conceiving

transitive verb

: to become pregnant with (young)

intransitive verb

: to become pregnant

More from Merriam-Webster on conceive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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