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conceive

verb
con·​ceive | \ kən-ˈsēv 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

 And, Walker notes, Bolsonaro’s Amazon development plans are part of a broader South American project, conceived in 2000, to build continental infrastructure that provides electricity for industrialization and facilitates trade across the region. — Catesby Holmes, The Conversation, "The Amazon is burning: 4 essential reads on Brazil’s vanishing rainforest," 23 Aug. 2019 James Reinhart, cofounder and CEO of ThredUp, conceived the idea for the company in 2009, after trying to sell a bunch of shirts to a local consignment shop, which rejected them. — Marc Bain, Quartzy, "There’s never been a better time—or more need—to buy your clothes used," 16 Aug. 2019 Neuroscientists conceived of the project, which develops tools to probe how neural circuits control thoughts and movement. — Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | AAAS, "For a decade, Francis Collins has shielded NIH—while making waves of his own," 15 Aug. 2019 The plan now gaining traction in the Legislature would acknowledge reality and could hasten an end for the ill-conceived, mismanaged bullet train, even Newsom’s much-abbreviated version. — Dan Walters, The Mercury News, "Walters: Derailing California’s high-speed rail," 6 Aug. 2019 These daring, unapologetic, and bizarre scenarios were all conceived by Brianna Capozzi, a trailblazing feminist and photographer based in New York. — Melania Hidalgo, The Cut, "This Daring Female Photographer Is Launching a New Book," 27 Apr. 2018 For its part, the NRA maintains that Ackerman conceived and shepherded the idea to purchase the home for LaPierre and his wife, Susan. — Mike Spies, ProPublica, "Document Shows NRA Money Helped Its Chief Search for a Personal Mansion," 8 Aug. 2019 In other words, these are things that were once conceived in someone’s imagination and are now being crystallized into reality. — Polina Marinova, Fortune, "Exclusive: Lux Capital Raises More Than $1 Billion Across Two New Funds to Invest in Companies Building a Sci-Fi Future," 1 Aug. 2019 As a young married couple, Megan and her husband had trouble conceiving children and turned to adoption. — Anchorage Daily News, "‘He looks so normal’: When it comes to FASDs, there’s no such thing as predictability," 24 June 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 | \ kən-ˈsēv 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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