conception

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noun con·cep·tion \ kən-ˈsep-shən \

Definition of conception

1 a (1) :the process of becoming pregnant involving fertilization or implantation or both

(2) :embryo, fetus

b :beginning

"Joy had the like conception in our eyes … "
—William Shakespeare

2 a :the capacity, function, or process of forming or understanding ideas or abstractions or their symbols

He directed the project from conception to completion.

b :a general idea :concept

We get the conception of an animal … by comparing different animals …
—John Stuart Mill

c :a complex product of abstract or reflective thinking

the philosopher's conception of reality

d :the sum of a person's ideas and beliefs concerning something

his conception of the American dream

3 :the originating of something in the mind

an artist's conception of how the city would look a hundred years from now

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conceptional

play \kən-ˈsep-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

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conceptive

play \kən-ˈsep-tiv\ adjective

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Examples of conception in a Sentence

He directed the project from conception to production.
the conception of a new device
They have a clear conception of how the process works.
a child's conception of responsibility
They have very different conceptions of the proper role of government.

Recent Examples of conception from the Web

So which conception of citizenship takes precedence in the minds of ordinary Americans?

— john sides, Washington Post, "What aspects are important to being American? 93% of Americans actually agree on this.," 14 July 2017
There has always been a strong tension in our history between the conception of America as devoted to an ideal and as a people, a nation — in a similar if not quite the same sense as some blood-and-soil European countries.

— nicholas m. gallagher, National Review, "America Needs to Reconcile Its Id and Superego," 11 July 2017
Thus is Toomes/Vulture a cut above the usual villain by conception, and also by design — his villain get-up is a winged contraption of nuts and bolts and welds, befitting his blue-collar roots.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "'Spider-Man: Homecoming:' a polished reboot," 5 July 2017
Jacobs is working with a project to create real life avatars, à la the James Cameron movie, or for deeper sci-fi buffs, the Neal Stephenson conception from his 1992 novel Snow Crash.

— aaron pressman, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Monday, June 26, 2017," 26 June 2017
These competing conceptions of Turkish identity have largely defined the parameters of political discourse since the republic’s founding.

— steven a. cook, The Atlantic, "Turkey's Identity Crisis," 25 June 2017
This doesn’t look like a policy made on the basis of a white paper, or on any coherent conception of the public good, but rather, on what was best for someone well-connected.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Housing Cuts Spare the One Program He Profits From," 21 June 2017
Because animals do not have a conception of their own individual futures, asking pets to shoulder the burden of prolonged suffering (as many humans must when undergoing chemotherapy) would be considered cruel.

— patty khuly, miamiherald, "This cat is getting chemo to treat cancer. Is that the right thing to do?," 20 June 2017
More than 12 years after conception, recurrence rates were similar in both groups.

— Washington Post, "Study finds pregnancy seems safe for breast cancer survivors," 6 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of conception

Middle English concepcioun, from Anglo-French concepcion, from Latin conception-, conceptio, from concipere — see ¹concept

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

conception Synonyms

Synonyms

concept, generalization, generality, notion, stereotype

Related Words

bromide, cliché (also cliche), commonplace, platitude, truism; adage, proverb, saw, saying; hypothesis, proposition, theory; oversimplification, simplification, simplism

Near Antonyms

actuality, fact, reality

Synonym Discussion of conception

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.