verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:K AH0 N S EH1 P CH W AH0 L AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To interpret a phenomenon by forming a concept.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To conceive the idea for something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
have the idea for
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
He conceived of a robot that would help paralyzed patients
This library was well conceived
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: gestate, conceive, conceptualise
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: create by mental act, create mentally
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Italic *kapjō Old Latin kapiō Latin capiō ▲ Ancient Greek σῠλλᾰμβᾰ́νω (sŭllămbắnō)calq. Latin concipiō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin conceptus Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Medieval Latin conceptuālisbor. English conceptual Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English conceptualize From conceptual + -ize.
Across languages
Translations
21 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
conceptualitzar
— to interpret by forming a concept
Chinese Mandarin:
概念化
(gàiniànhuà)
— to interpret by forming a concept
Dutch:
conceptualiseren
— to interpret by forming a concept
Finnish:
käsitteellistää
— to interpret by forming a concept
Finnish:
muodostaa käsite
— to interpret by forming a concept
French:
conceptualiser
— to interpret by forming a concept
Irish:
coincheap
— to interpret by forming a concept
Irish:
coincheapaigh
— to interpret by forming a concept
Irish:
samhlaigh
— to interpret by forming a concept
Irish:
teibigh
— to interpret by forming a concept
Italian:
concepire
— to interpret by forming a concept
Polish:
konceptualizować
— to interpret by forming a concept
Polish:
skonceptualizować
— to interpret by forming a concept
Spanish:
conceptualizar
— to interpret by forming a concept
Turkish:
kavramsallaştırmak
— to interpret by forming a concept
Catalan:
conceptualitzar
— to conceive the idea for something
Esperanto:
koncepti
— to conceive the idea for something
Finnish:
hahmotella
— to conceive the idea for something
Finnish:
hahmottaa
— to conceive the idea for something
Italian:
concettualizzare
— to conceive the idea for something
Turkish:
kavramsallaştırmak
— to conceive the idea for something