as in assumptions
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 preconceptions
The goal is to expand palates and preconceptions beyond the kebab, but Grigoryan plans on introducing some to the menu via sidewalk grilling once the weather warms.
—
Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Chili tastes are highly personal, often inflexible and loaded with preconceptions — the political party of culinary offerings.
—The Know, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Based on his 2020 short film, Meeks draws from his personal ties to Ohio to upbraid our preconceptions about the cyclical nature of addiction and recovery.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
On the slopes, long-standing ethnic and religious divides are briefly set aside, with rivals cheering one another on despite their fraught history and preconceptions.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
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
Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Chili tastes are highly personal, often inflexible and loaded with preconceptions — the political party of culinary offerings.
—The Know, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Based on his 2020 short film, Meeks draws from his personal ties to Ohio to upbraid our preconceptions about the cyclical nature of addiction and recovery.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
On the slopes, long-standing ethnic and religious divides are briefly set aside, with rivals cheering one another on despite their fraught history and preconceptions.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preconceptions
Noun
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At the same time, Maryland has lost approximately 130,000 residents since Moore took office, yet the budget justifies hundreds of millions in housing and community revitalization spending based on population growth assumptions that do not match reality.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Feb. 2026
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For both the terminals and the pipeline, the authority hosted a series of follow-up meetings with prospective participants to collect technical feedback, validate market assumptions and refine the documentation supporting the selection process.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Such theories were met with some skepticism by trade researchers at the time, and not all of the predictions have come true.—
Josh Ederington,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
As the search continues with no suspects or persons of interest, posts across Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook and YouTube have put millions of eyeballs on tips and theories surrounding her disappearance.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preconceptions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preconceptions. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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