1
as in to imagine
to form a mental picture of
it takes an idealist to conceive a world without war, and an activist to make it happen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of
I cannot conceive the reason for such pointless vandalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to think
to have as an opinion
I just can't conceive that he would have lied
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
-
Even though no one ever could have imagined it at the time, the Yankees weren’t going to win Torre one more Series, weren’t even going to make it back there even after having led three games to none.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
-
Third, imagine how scattered and confused the AI community would be without a flag of AGI as the purposeful aim afoot.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Some things are beyond the capacity of a child to understand, while others resonate most profoundly out of the mouths of babes.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
5 July 2025
-
The class is offered by the Peace and Justice Institute, an Orlando nonprofit that hosts workshops on topics like conflict resolution, understanding trauma, emotional intelligence and parenting.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Avoid choosing colors without thinking about the whole picture; always consider how your shingle selection interacts with surrounding elements, including gutters, doors, shutters, and even landscaping.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
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
-
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer – who knows a thing or two about placing a smash song into a film – and directed by Kosinski, F1 was always envisioned as a global spectacle.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.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
-
The parliamentarian determined that a provision to bar immigrants who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents from receiving food assistance benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, should also be removed.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
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
-
There was a lot more boredom involved in their day-to-day work than we were led to believe as kids, more sitting around and more court dates and more paperwork, the sheer bureaucracy of the whole thing.—
Maris Kreizman,
Rolling Stone,
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
Cite this Entry
“Conceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceive. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share