conceive Hear it!

conceive Definition

con·ceive (kən sēv′)

transitive verb -·ceived′, -·ceiv′·ing

  1. to become pregnant with; cause to begin life
  2. to form or develop in the mind
  3. to hold as one's conviction or opinion; think; imagine
  4. to understand; apprehend
  5. to put in words; couch; express

Etymology: ME conceiven < OFr conceveir < L concipere (pp. conceptus), to take in, receive < com-, together + capere, to take: see have

intransitive verb

  1. to become pregnant
  2. to form a concept or idea (of)

conceive Synonyms

conceive

v.

  1. To form a concept or image of

    imagine, conceptualize, consider, formulate; see imagine 1, invent 1, think 1.

  2. To understand

    grasp, comprehend, perceive; see understand 1.

  3. To become pregnant

    become with child, be impregnated, superfetate, get in the family way*.

conceive Usage Examples

Object

  • idea: Joe conceived the idea of getting some talk out of him.
  • baby: The extraordinary feelings of having conceived a baby is wonderful.
  • passion: The housekeeper, Hannah Calcutt, later gave evidence that the couple had already ' conceived a criminal passion for each other ' .
  • twin: Q. What are the chances of conceiving twins more than once?
  • desire: Long ago in my crude unhappy youth, I conceived the desire of writing a book.
  • pregnancy: Women do not expect to conceive an unwanted pregnancy or to need an abortion.

Preposition: on

scale: Conceived on a grand scale, the Palais Garnier is the largest opera house in the world and one of the finest.

Subject

insemination: Both are the biological children of the respondent conceived by anonymous donor insemination.

Preposition: as

means: The site was originally conceived as a means for French property owners wishing to car share on the Plymouth to Roscoff route.

Modifying Another Word

  • brilliantly: Holidays to Florida â A brilliantly conceived fantasy world Walt Disney World Resort holidays inhabit a unique brilliantly conceived magical fantasy world.
  • originally: The number is one less than was originally conceived.
  • broadly: Business broadly conceived: Report of the Business Archives Council of Scotland Surveying Officer, 1994-95, by Frank Rankin.
  • naturally: The oldest person to conceive naturally in the UK was... 45 50 54 60 20.
  • narrowly: African politics is often conceived narrowly in terms of either ' patrimonialism ' or coercive authoritarianism.
  • immaculately: Is it the case that Mary was a perpetual Virgin, was conceived immaculately, and ascended bodily into Heaven?

Preposition: in

  • womb: And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
  • term: The linking together of signs was conceived solely in terms of the grammatical possibilities which the system offered.
  • spirit: But the UN Charter itself was conceived in a spirit of violation of its own principles.

Preposition: of

possibility: Maharishi said that every government is so saturated with problems that its leaders cannot conceive of the possibility of rising to invincibility.

Preposition: by

insemination: Both are the biological children of the respondent conceived by anonymous donor insemination.