conceptual

adjective

con·​cep·​tu·​al kən-ˈsep-chə-wəl 

-chü-əl,

kän-,

-chəl,

-shwəl

: of, relating to, or consisting of concepts

conceptual thinking

the project's conceptual and technical hurdles

conceptual designs

conceptuality

kən-ˌsep-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē 

-shə-;

-chü-ˈa-

-shü-

noun

conceptually adverb

Synonyms

• theoretical
• theoretic
• metaphysical
• abstract

Examples of conceptual in a Sentence

The plans have both conceptual and practical difficulties.

conceptual thinking is often the most demanding kind of mental activity

Recent Examples on the Web

Emphasizing the project’s conceptual basis, one particularly ephemeral edition, The Biggest Nemyrivskiy Art Center, 2013, was a roughly nineteen-thousand-square-foot rectangle outlined on a snowy field by a plow, disappearing as soon as the snow began to melt. —Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025

And the late conceptual artist, Chris Burden, and still-active light and space artist James Turrell have ties to the school as students and instructors. —Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025

In the 1960s and ’70s, Alexander Grothendieck and his successors developed novel conceptual tools that helped resolve Hilbert’s problem and set the foundation for the field of modern algebraic geometry. —Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 26 Sep. 2025

No more conceptual discussions — start sewing! —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin conceptualis of thought, from Late Latin conceptus act of conceiving, thought, from Latin concipere — see concept entry 1

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing conceptual

• conceptual art

Medical Definition

conceptual

adjective

con·​cep·​tu·​al kən-ˈsep-chə(-wə)l, kän-, -ˈsepsh-wəl 

: of, relating to, or consisting of concepts

conceptually adverb