as in theory
an attitude, belief, or impression formed in advance of actual experience of something
tried to go into the training sessions without any preconceptions
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Recent Examples of preconception
Despite McGuire acquiescing to reader’s preconceptions of the witch, the mysterious flying broom was not a central item in Elphaba’s initial rejection of the Wizard’s autocratic reign.
—
Time, 21 Nov. 2025
Like the partisan preconceptions surrounding Benioff and his New York Times interview, the faulty assumptions about Salesforce’s future performance are missing the bigger picture.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
In other words, anyone open-minded enough to set aside popular preconceptions about the genre really can find their perfect match.
—Karen Ostergren, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
Also not fitting the West’s preconceptions was the fact that most Soviet dissidents didn’t reject socialism.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preconception
Time, 21 Nov. 2025
Like the partisan preconceptions surrounding Benioff and his New York Times interview, the faulty assumptions about Salesforce’s future performance are missing the bigger picture.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
In other words, anyone open-minded enough to set aside popular preconceptions about the genre really can find their perfect match.
—Karen Ostergren, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025
Also not fitting the West’s preconceptions was the fact that most Soviet dissidents didn’t reject socialism.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preconception
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preconception
Noun
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Those are, indeed, pat, credible theories and predictions.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
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But now, in the planet’s capital city of Apperax, a murder is committed with no suspects, forensics or theories.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That runs counter to decades of assumptions about Chondrichthyan fishes, the group that includes sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The report calls into question assumptions in many circles, including in the White House, that a Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable and incoming.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preconception.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preconception. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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