conceive

Synonym Chooser

How is the word conceive distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of conceive are envisage, envision, fancy, imagine, realize, and think. While all these words mean "to form an idea of," conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

How do envisage and envision relate to one another, in the sense of conceive?

Both 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

When could fancy be used to replace conceive?

Although the words fancy and conceive have much in common, fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

In what contexts can imagine take the place of conceive?

While in some cases nearly identical to conceive, imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

When would realize be a good substitute for conceive?

The synonyms realize and conceive are sometimes interchangeable, but realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

When can think be used instead of conceive?

In some situations, the words think and conceive are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conceive The event was conceived by then FIU head theater director Phillip Church to support a not-for-profit that helped children in foster care. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025 Yet this overhaul was conceived in 2009, when the United States had not even anticipated, let alone accounted for, the nuclear expansions of China and North Korea. Vipin Narang, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 Unity Mitford—conceived in the town of Swastika, Canada, with the middle name of Valkyrie—seemed destined to be a Nazi from birth, and eventually shot herself in the head after Britain declared war on her beloved Führer. George Pendle, Air Mail, 21 June 2025 The mechanical engineering student conceived the idea during a 2021 cross-country drive to MIT, when gallery visits revealed how much art remains hidden due to damage and restoration backlogs. ArsTechnica, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for conceive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceive
Verb
  • In a visual narrative medium (a play, a film, a TV show) everything a character thinks, feels, believes, remembers, imagines, the audience must infer from what the actor is doing with body and face and voice.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • But why should God be imagined as human—heavens, dogs are nobler creatures, to say nothing of whales or oak trees—and why as a man?
    Campbell McGrath, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • These powerful stellar explosions serve as cosmic lighthouses, helping astronomers measure vast cosmic distances and understand the accelerating expansion of the universe.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • More research is needed to better understand why diabetic people on GLP-1s have increased eye disease, Shor said.
    Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Ya’ll in ya’ll feelings, ya’ll think ya’ll know everything.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 25 June 2025
  • Every post should include one moment that makes someone stop scrolling and think about their situation differently, ideally in the hook.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • For some students, in place of bachelor’s and master’s programs, Reece envisions a kind of AI vocational school that teaches students how to apply AI to their specific career interests.
    Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
  • The seminars serve as a way to help students envision themselves as being successful and create more self-confidence.
    Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • The Trump administration said the strikes destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage is not known.
    Sonam Sheth Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • Celsius is known for its (frankly delicious) energy drinks, but the manufacturer makes caffeine-free hydration packets too.
    Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Many constitutional scholars believe that the Nixon-era law, which limits the president's power to unilaterally wage war, violates Article 2, Johnson said.
    Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 June 2025
  • Part of what made the Dončić deal so hard to believe was unloading a 25-year-old superstar in his prime nine months after leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals for the first time in 13 years.
    Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • And club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is first on the list of those the club would like to see leave before the end of the transfer window.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • Lorde keeps it casual in New York as she is seen outside of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on June 24.
    Grace Harrington, People.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • They had been expected to argue that severe mental disease or defect caused Purdy not to comprehend that his conduct was wrong.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 June 2025
  • Israeli intelligence has also monitored the reaction to the campaign among Iranian leadership, which has struggled to comprehend the extent of the damage, the Israeli official said.
    Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceive. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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