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conceive

verb
con·​ceive | \ kÉ™n-ˈsÄ“v How to pronounce conceive (audio) \
conceived; conceiving

Definition of conceive

transitive verb

1a : to become pregnant with (young) conceive a child
b : to cause to begin : originate a project conceived by the company's founder
2a : to take into one's mind conceive a prejudice
b : to form a conception of : imagine a badly conceived design cleverly conceived teleplays
3 : to apprehend by reason or imagination : understand unable to conceive his reasons It is easy enough to conceive the notion that your island is a sort of fortress.— Paul Theroux
4 : to have as an opinion I cannot conceive that he acted alone.

intransitive verb

1 : to become pregnant
2 : to have a conception —usually used with of conceives of death as emptinessIt is hard to conceive of all the work that must have been involved in starting off from scratch.— Harold Fromm
Other Words from conceive Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about conceive

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Other Words from conceive

conceiver noun

Choose the Right Synonym for conceive

think, conceive, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision mean to form an idea of. 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 conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design. conceived of a new marketing approach imagine stresses a visualization. imagine you're at the beach fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires. fancied himself a super athlete realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined. realized the enormity of the task ahead 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

Examples of conceive in a Sentence

When the writer conceived this role, he had a specific actor in mind to play the part. As conceived by the committee, the bill did not raise taxes. a woman who has been unable to conceive a woman who has been unable to conceive a child
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Mangayamma and her husband, 80-year-old E. Raja Rao, have been married since 1962 but had never been able to conceive naturally. — Swati Gupta And Sugam Pokharel, CNN, "Indian woman gives birth to twins at age of 73," 6 Sep. 2019 Unless something unusual and extreme happens, a person with ovaries won’t suddenly wake up on their 35th birthday unable to conceive. — Natasha Lavender, SELF, "So, Let’s Talk About That Whole Fertility and Age 35 Thing," 22 Aug. 2019 In 2007, Kotb battled breast cancer, leaving her unable to conceive. — Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE.com, "Hoda Kotb's Daughter Haley and Dylan Dreyer's Son Calvin Are Adorable BFFs on 'Perfect' Playdate," 18 Aug. 2019 Sweet is one of thousands of fertility doctors throughout the country grappling with what to do with the embryos cast aside by former patients, many of whom worked for months, even years, to conceive. — NBC News, "Nation's fertility clinics struggle with a growing number of abandoned embryos," 12 Aug. 2019 After losing the titles on Aug. 13, 2018, Wyatt disappeared from WWE TV and was reported to be taking some time to conceive of a new gimmick. — Dan Gartland, SI.com, "What Is Bray Wyatt’s ‘Fiend’? Masked Persona Explained," 11 Aug. 2019 The fertility business has always peddled hope to people who struggle to conceive naturally. — The Economist, "The fertility business is booming," 8 Aug. 2019 Last summer, Flesh Beauty was conceived with 12 products, including the brand's now popular Firm Flesh Thickstick Foundation, which comes in a soon-to-be-standard 40 shades. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "Flesh Beauty Launches Its First Liquid Foundation — See Details," 5 Aug. 2019 In April, Zoo Miami welcomed the birth of the first rhino ever to be conceived from induced ovulation and artificial insemination. — Fox News, "Rhino saved? Southern white rhino gives birth aided by artificial insemination," 1 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conceive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of conceive

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for conceive

Middle English, from Anglo-French conceivre, from Latin concipere to take in, conceive, from com- + capere to take — more at heave

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More Definitions for conceive

conceive

verb
How to pronounce conceive (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of conceive

: to think of or create (something) in the mind
: to become pregnant

See the full definition for conceive in the English Language Learners Dictionary

conceive

verb
con·​ceive | \ kÉ™n-ˈsÄ“v How to pronounce conceive (audio) \
conceived; conceiving

Kids Definition of conceive

1 : to form an idea of : imagine She is unable to conceive how it happened.
2 : think sense 1 He was generally conceived of as a genius.

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