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 Reflecting on Nashville, Panettiere recently told EW that Nashville was conceived as a solo vehicle for Britton's Rayna. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025 Walker conceived his lexicon as a lovingly ironic send-up of comic-strip conventions. Cullen Murphy, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025 Meanwhile, Harold Stevenson’s The New Adam (1962) is a 39-foot painting of bisexual heartthrob Sal Mineo, conceived as a tribute to a lover. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 Described as small but mighty by Shed of the Year founder Andrew Wilcox, the Tiny Workshop was conceived when Robinson couldn't find a shed that perfectly matched his small garden plot. New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conceive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceive
Verb
  • Compounding the cacophony is a Jonny Greenwood score that veers between manic percolation—imagine a xylophone humping a coffeepot—and grandly operatic surges of synth.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Drivers like Doell aren’t imagining the transformation.
    Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The first two abbreviations are easy enough to understand.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Wilson understood the concerns of both local officials and residents and thanked them for meeting with his team to discuss the idea.
    Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Gonzalez, the former National Security Council official, said senior policymakers thought that embassy staff were showing favoritism to Bukele, sending reports that minimized the growing crisis of democracy in El Salvador.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Initially, the source was thought to be in an area between the football stadium and the high school’s dock area, but the gas utility determined that the leak was somewhere within the building.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Anderson envisioned the scene where Penn’s Lockjaw does his paternity test with Willa as taking place in a chapel, so La Purisima’s sanctuary provided the perfect backdrop for his perverse quest.
    Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Lazarus envisions Versant as a bridge between the past and future of media, a company that will use the large but declining cash generated by cable subscriptions to fund acquisition and investment in building the next generation of news and sports media.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Head and the Heart is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle who are known for their harmonious vocal blends and heartfelt lyrics.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2025
  • According to Hays, who is representing Richard and Holly, no such conspiracy existed, and whether or not Richard and Holly knew whether the money went to boys’ ranches is irrelevant, since Baker’s case was focused on violating estray laws, not any financial motivation.
    Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Banda believes that, with Usagi dead, Arisu will choose to stay in Borderland.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Many of singer D4vd’s friends in the Los Angeles music scene had come to believe that Celeste Rivas Hernandez was his 19-year-old girlfriend, long before the 15-year-old’s body was found dismembered in the trunk of his Tesla, which had been abandoned in the Hollywood hills a month earlier.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • East Ridge High School’s football stadium was a riot of color and noise early Friday evening, a near-capacity crowd excited to see the host Raptors meet Metro East Conference rival Mounds View.
    Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
  • So Instacart is reviewing orders from last October to see what might be filling trick-or-treaters’ bags across the country this year.
    Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Largely touted as one of the best games ever made, Hades has inspired many imitators, many of which only superficially comprehend the special alchemy of design elements that makes the indie actioner so effective.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Miller later said the same enemies can’t comprehend their strength, determination and passion.
    Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceive. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on conceive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!