What does conceive mean?
"Conceive" is a versatile English verb with two principal meanings: to form an idea, plan, or image in the mind, and to become pregnant with a child. Both senses share a common thread of bringing something new into being — a thought in one case, a life in the other. The word often appears in intellectual and creative contexts, as when an inventor conceives a design or a writer conceives a plot; in its mental sense it frequently takes the form "conceive of," especially when expressing difficulty imagining something ("It is hard to conceive of a world without the internet"). In medical and everyday discussion alike, "conceive" is the standard term for the beginning of pregnancy. Derived forms include "conception" (the forming of an idea, or fertilization), "conceivable," and "inconceivable." Formal but widely understood, the word lends precision and a slightly elevated tone to writing about ideas, imagination, and origins.
To form or devise an idea, plan, or concept in the mind; to imagine or think of something.
"He conceived the project while still a student."
When used to mean "imagine," it commonly appears as "conceive of."
To become pregnant with (a child); to begin the formation of an embryo.
"They hoped to conceive their second child that year."
The same Latin verb that gives us "conceive" of an idea also describes the moment life begins — one word spans both invention and creation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conceive
"Conceive" derives from the Latin verb "concipere," meaning "to take in or receive," formed from "com-" (together) and "capere" (to take). It entered English via Old French "conceivre" in the Middle Ages, carrying both the mental sense of taking an idea into the mind and the biological sense of taking a seed into the womb. It shares this Latin root with words such as "concept," "receive," and "perceive," all of which involve some form of taking or grasping.
Related word forms
How conceive is actually used
"Conceive" is largely neutral to formal in register. In the sense of imagining, it typically appears as "conceive of" (e.g., "I cannot conceive of such a thing"), though this preposition is often omitted when the object is "an idea" or "a plan." In the reproductive sense, it is standard and clinical rather than colloquial.
Easily confused with conceive
"Perceive" means to become aware of something through the senses or the mind, while "conceive" means to form or create an idea in the mind.