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 of conceptual

• theoretical
• 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

Under the conceptual arrangement, the city would own the property and oversee street construction, while the district would participate financially and construct its own access drives connecting to the new street. — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

The Staten Island hip-hop titans conceived of the album as a conceptual artwork, a protest against the cheapening of music in the age of widespread piracy. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

The latter has featured collaborations with creative practitioners including Tao Dance Theater, French photographer Olivier Kervern, Chinese oil painter Yu Hong and Chinese conceptual artist Cao Fei. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

That caught the attention of his professor Allan Sekula, a conceptual artist who married photography and text to create installations that explored issues of labor and trade. — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

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