conceive

con·ceive | \ kən-ˈsēv

How to pronounce conceive (audio)

\

conceived; conceiving

Definition of conceive

transitive verb

1a : to become pregnant with (young) conceive a child

b : to cause to begin : originate a project conceived by the company's founder

2a : 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 ofconceives of death as emptinessIt is hard to conceive of all the work that must have been involved in starting off from scratch.— Harold Fromm

Other Words from conceive Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about conceive

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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 The monument, conceived by Berg and designed by Tim Blokvist from Overland Partners, was meant to capture the happiness and sadness of the two days. — Sara Cline, ExpressNews.com, "Monument memorializing JFK’s last moments in Alamo Heights unveiled," 22 Nov. 2019 That development doesn’t go over well with Betty’s protective grandson, Stephen (Russell Tovey of HBO’s Looking and Years and Years, doing his darnedest in a thanklessly conceived part). — Jon Frosch, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Good Liar': Film Review," 7 Nov. 2019 Published materials clearly show that, well before HHS claims to have invented the concepts of PrEP and PEP in 2006, others had conceived of using an antiretroviral therapy, including Truvada, for both forms of prophylaxis. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "HHS sues Gilead for refusing to reach a licensing deal over patents for HIV prevention pills," 7 Nov. 2019 For instance, it was originally conceived as a bachelor pad – and there’s no kitchen. — BostonGlobe.com, "Actress Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney are hosting their wedding reception at Rhode Island mansion Belcourt of Newport on Saturday, according to people.com. The lavish, Bellevue Avenue property has a storied history and recently underwent a major renovation.," 23 Oct. 2019 Originally conceived by Windmill Food Hall founder James Markham and operated by The Friend’s House culinary team, The Poke Stand sells sushi-rritos, or burrito-size sushi rolls, served wrapped in nori, and then foil, for chopstick-free dining. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: A tasting tour under Carlsbad’s windmill," 12 Sep. 2019 In the 1960s a variation of the scala naturae conceived by Jesuit philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin became popular. — Antonio G. Valdecasas, The Conversation, "Evolution doesn’t proceed in a straight line – so why draw it that way?," 3 Sep. 2019 Or the imaginative 1,000-foot-long fountain conceived by artist Ned Kahn, its sprays triggered unpredictably when buses pass underneath. — John King, SFChronicle.com, "Park-topped Transbay transit center pays architectural dividends, past troubles aside," 26 Aug. 2019 Infrastructure Weak Originally conceived in 1989 (on two napkins), the version of BGP used today remains largely unchanged since 1994. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "The Infrastructure Mess Causing Countless Internet Outages," 28 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conceive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Conceive.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conceive. Accessed 11 December 2019.

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More Definitions for conceive

conceive

verb

English Language Learners Definition of conceive

: to think of or create (something) in the mind

: to become pregnant

See the full definition for conceive in the English Language Learners Dictionary

conceive

con·ceive | \ kən-ˈsēv

\

conceived; conceiving

Kids Definition of conceive

1 : to form an idea of : imagine She is unable to conceive how it happened.

2 : think sense 1 He was generally conceived of as a genius.

conceive

con·ceive | \ kən-ˈsēv

\

conceived; conceiving

Medical Definition of conceive

transitive verb

: to become pregnant with (young)

intransitive verb

: to become pregnant

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