concept

noun con·cept \ ˈkän-ˌsept \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

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Examples: concept in a Sentence

Definition of concept

1 : something conceived in the mind : thought, notion

2 : an abstract or generic idea generalized from particular instances

the basic concepts of psychology

the concept of gravity

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Examples of concept in a Sentence

She is familiar with basic concepts of psychology.
a concept borrowed from computer programming

Recent Examples of concept from the Web

The concept of a portable homemade crystal that eliminates bad energy and manifests positive energy is a lot less weird, and a lot less cult-y, than placing naked people in boxes to cure their ailments with orgasmic energy.

— refinery29.com, "Kylie Jenner, Crystals & Cults: Inside The Mysterious Orgonite Society," 13 July 2018
Janet was a kind woman with a big heart, and held the concept of love and family closer to her than anything else in her life.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Janet A. Richardson," 13 July 2018
The first step towards showing up in your fullest magic is to realize that so much of your power lies in the concept of process.

— bess matassa, Teen Vogue, "Weekly Horoscopes July 16-22," 13 July 2018
Unlike the former state Standardized Testing and Reporting exam that measured a student’s memorization skills, Common Core focuses more on understanding the concepts of problem-solving and math’s real-world applications.

— priscella vega, latimes.com, "Newport-Mesa to gather input from parents on middle school math offerings," 11 July 2018
The concept of the Cass-Henry Historic District came to being last June when the Ilitches requested demolition permits for three of the buildings: 2447 Cass Ave.

— allie gross, Detroit Free Press, "How new Detroit historic district impacts the Ilitch family," 10 July 2018
The company, which was founded in 2002, has grown into a dominant force in the speaker industry, with a name that is all but synonymous with the concept of multi-room audio setups.

— chaim gartenberg, The Verge, "Sonos files to go public, has sold over 19 million devices," 6 July 2018
Painter’s pro bono work continued for several years as the city pushed a reluctant Caltrans to embrace the concept of a parkway.

— john king, SFChronicle.com, "Michael Painter, who conceived Presidio Parkway to replace SF’s Doyle Drive, dies," 5 July 2018
Meek Mill, Pusha T, the concept of having cohesive tattoos.

— hannah giorgis, The Atlantic, "Drake’s Scorpion, as Explained by an Astrologer and an Entomologist," 3 July 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of concept

Latin conceptum, neuter of conceptus, past participle of concipere to conceive — more at conceive

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1556

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

concept Synonyms

Synonyms

abstraction, cogitation, conception, idea, image, impression, intellection, mind's eye, notion, picture, thought;

Near Antonyms

actuality, fact, reality;

preconception, prejudice, prepossession;

delusion, hallucination, illusion, phantasm (also fantasm);

caprice, conceit, fancy, vagary, whim;

cognition, observation, perception, reflection;

assumption, belief, conclusion, conviction;

conjecture, guess, hunch, hypothesis, speculation, supposition, surmise, theory;

brainchild, brainstorm, brain wave, inspiration;

Synonym Discussion of concept

idea, concept, conception, thought, notion, impression mean what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan). idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed.