conceive

verb

con·ceive | \kən-ˈsēv

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 of conceives 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 & Antonyms 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

So much has changed since the ERA was first conceived. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "The ERA Is Back in the News—This Is Why You Should Be Paying Attention," 12 June 2018 Family ties The doctor continued to provide medical care for Ashby for years afterward, during which time the couple naturally conceived a second child. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Woman takes Ancestry.com DNA test, learns her real dad is her mom’s doctor," 4 Apr. 2018 After a miscarriage in 2014, Christina conceived again and was put on bed rest. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "What Really Led to Christina and Tarek El Moussa's Divorce," 25 June 2018 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was conceived of by then-Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren in 2010 and was officially created in July 2010 with Dodd-Frank’s passage. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Richard Cordray used to lead the government’s top consumer watchdog. Now he’s trying to become governor of Ohio.," 9 May 2018 Did some of those women — like me — trust their bodies again after difficulties conceiving, and marvel at their newfound capability to carry children? — Vanessa Hua, The Cut, "What Does Being Pregnant Feel Like? Part II," 9 May 2018 In very rare occasions, twins are conceived and one develops normally - like Louee - from a second healthy egg, but usually the healthy baby is consumed by the growth. — Fox News, "Mom claims son's 'hidden' unborn twin gave her cancer," 26 Apr. 2018 The century-old Uvalde house reeks of abandonment, uncaring tenants and multiple renovations — many poorly conceived and executed and is now for sale by he current owner, Linda Koehl for $149,500. — Richard A. Marini, San Antonio Express-News, "Dale Evans’ Uvalde home for sale — but needs tons of work," 25 Apr. 2018 Traditionally, the museum experience was one-directional: Curators conceived of and executed an exhibit, which visitors then enjoyed. — Miranda Katz, WIRED, "Augmented Reality Is Transforming Museums," 23 Apr. 2018

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.