conceptualize

verb con·cep·tu·al·ize \ kən-ˈsep-chə-wə-ˌlīz , -chü-ə- , -chə-ˌlīz , -shwə-ˌlīz \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

conceptualized; conceptualizing

transitive verb

: to form a concept of

conceptualize a new car design

; especially : to interpret conceptually

conceptualizing reality

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conceptualization

play \kən-ˌsep-chə-wə-lə-ˈzā-shən, -chü-ə-, -chə-lə-ˈzā-, -shwə-lə-ˈzā-\ noun

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conceptualizer

play \kən-ˈsep-chə-wə-ˌlī-zər, -chü-ə-, -chə-ˌlī-, -shwə-ˌlī-\ noun

See conceptualize defined for English-language learners

Examples of conceptualize in a Sentence

She described her plans to me, but I found them hard to conceptualize.
He conceptualizes the family as an economic unit.
A programmer needs to analyze and conceptualize in order to solve problems.

Recent Examples of conceptualize from the Web

Geologist and explorer John Wesley Powell was the first scientist known to have conceptualized the east/west climate divide in the mid–19th century.

— shannon hall, Scientific American, "A Nation Divided: Arid/Humid Climate Boundary in U.S. Creeps Eastward," 27 Apr. 2018
But more recent studies suggest that these results came from the fact that non-Western women don’t often conceptualize postpartum sadness and fear as being medical rather than cultural.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Walking Through the Past Into New Motherhood," 10 Apr. 2018
Along with the passion was the timing; the Koviem brand was conceptualized during the 2016 presidential campaign, when the pantsuit took on an important new meaning.

— ariana marsh, Teen Vogue, "Koviem Is the New Bespoke Suiting Brand Making Power Suits for Women," 23 Apr. 2018
Emerson has said that the record was conceptualized and tinkered with in cities all over the world — on airplanes, on car rides, in cafes — during his relentless touring schedule.

— john adamian, courant.com, "What So Not Comes To Toad’s Place," 14 Apr. 2018
The store is a space that Cramer and Hout conceptualized with interior designer Alexis Brown to bring customers a tactile experience and house the elements that matter most to the brand ethos.

— alexis brunswick, Vogue, "Apiece Apart Is Opening a Store in Venice—And the Most Stylish Women in L.A. Can’t Stop Talking About It," 6 Apr. 2018
Vistisen began conceptualizing a line of base layers.

— ariella gintzler, Outside Online, "The Upstart Brand Making Affordable Kids Apparel," 6 Apr. 2018
How does Facebook conceptualize its responsibilities or duties to its consumers?

— alexis c. madrigal, The Atlantic, "What Congress Should Ask Mark Zuckerberg," 28 Mar. 2018
Anything that can't be perceived by the senses or conceptualized by the brain will remain permanently unknown to us, beyond knowledge -- and even imagination.

— jon fobes, cleveland.com, "Immanuel Kant, the Dirty Harry of philosophy: Beyond Belief (opinion video)," 22 Mar. 2018

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