preconception

noun

pre·​con·​cep·​tion ˌprē-kən-ˈsep-shən 

1

: a preconceived idea

2

: prejudice

Synonyms

• theory
• assumption

Examples of preconception in a Sentence

I came to the lecture without any preconceptions.

tried to go into the training sessions without any preconceptions

Recent Examples on the Web

Like the partisan preconceptions surrounding Benioff and his New York Times interview, the faulty assumptions about Salesforce’s future performance are missing the bigger picture. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025

In other words, anyone open-minded enough to set aside popular preconceptions about the genre really can find their perfect match. —Karen Ostergren, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025

Also not fitting the West’s preconceptions was the fact that most Soviet dissidents didn’t reject socialism. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Oct. 2025

And in 2008, the physicist Hossein Partovi of California State University identified a particularly dramatic implication of the way quantum entanglement can undermine preconceptions derived from classical thermodynamics. —Quanta Magazine, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for preconception

• apperception
• contraception
• interception
• misconception
• misperception
• conception
• deception
• exception
• inception
• perception
• reception
• intussusception

Medical Definition

preconception

adjective

pre·​con·​cep·​tion -kən-ˈsep-shən 

: occurring prior to conception

preconception genetic counseling