Synonym Chooser

How does the noun conception contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of conception are concept, idea, impression, notion, and thought. While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," conception is often interchangeable with concept; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result.

our changing conception of what constitutes art

When can concept be used instead of conception?

Although the words concept and conception have much in common, concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be.

a society with no concept of private property

When might idea be a better fit than conception?

The meanings of idea and conception largely overlap; however, idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed.

innovative ideas
my idea of paradise

When is impression a more appropriate choice than conception?

While the synonyms impression and conception are close in meaning, impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses.

the first impression is of soaring height

Where would notion be a reasonable alternative to conception?

The words notion and conception can be used in similar contexts, but notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental.

you have the oddest notions

When is it sensible to use thought instead of conception?

The synonyms thought and conception are sometimes interchangeable, but thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining.

commit your thoughts to paper

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 conception Their bond is extraordinary—almost like being able to touch, feed, and nurture your own embryo just 30 days after conception. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025 When Einstein first cooked up the general theory of relativity, our conception of gravity forever shifted from the prevailing notion of Newtonian gravity. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025 That was the moment of conception, of ensoulment. Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Sep. 2025 His conception of this vice was broad. Ben Yagoda, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conception
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conception
Noun
  • This prefabricated container home features two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an open-concept kitchen and living space.
    Jessica Comstock, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Instead of nurturing bold concepts through this early stage, investors are now implicitly asking that entrepreneurs crawl through it alone.
    Roman Axelrod, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Across a little over nine years in English football, Guardiola has learned from a different culture and adapted his own ideas to keep pace with changing times.
    Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • That idea also died against business and political opposition.
    Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For decades, unflattering stereotypes of gamers as lethargic young men engaging in an isolating hobby have persevered in popular culture.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
  • But trends, especially on social media, that fallback on body-shaming stereotypes casting thinness as a virtue haven't disappeared.
    Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That’s where Chase focused his thoughts on what needs to come next.
    Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • While speaking during a panel discussion at the event, Howard opened up about her time directing episodes of Ahsoka specifically — as well as her thoughts on the upcoming second season.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There's this whole notion of growing up.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Of course Swift’s legion of devotees would scoff at the notion that their heroine was anything but a pop goddess, their very own Glinda the Good Witch sent to comfort with lyrical poetry and aid crumpled hearts.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And those impressions tend to stick.
    Marisa McMillan, Outside, 7 Oct. 2025
  • My impression of bath mats, from years of owning ones that end up getting soggy on contact, was that there was little to nothing to do about mildew, puddles of water, and discoloration.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Nikumaroro theory suggests that Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, landed on the island’s reef before their plane was swept away.
    Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Although Robson took more than a decade to put his theory to the test, his experiments in the 1980s proved his hunch was correct.
    Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conception.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conception. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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