conceived; conceiving
1
a
: to become pregnant with (young)
conceive a child
b
: to cause to begin : originate
a project conceived by the company's founder
2
a
: 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
Paul Theroux4
: to have as an opinion
I cannot conceive that he acted alone.
1
: to become pregnant
2
: to have a conception
—usually used with of
conceives of death as emptiness
It is hard to conceive of all the work that must have been involved in starting off from scratch.—Harold Fromm
Harold Fromm
conceiver
noun
Synonyms
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Even then the Italians loved a spritz In a period of political instability and uncertainty, the Colosseum was conceived as a way to unite the people of Rome under a shared spectacle.
—Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024
It was first conceived in 1957 by Pennsylvania's C. Walton Musser, a wonderfully creative inventor with patents on everything from power steering systems, recoilless rifles and pneumatic life jacket inflators, through to many key ideas underpinning jet aircraft ejection seats.
—New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
The actress also reflected on their relationship and decision to conceive their one-year-old son Leo together.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 31 Oct. 2024
For women, there are particular metrics focused on reproductive health, addressing those who are planning to conceive or experiencing early menopause.
—Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for conceive 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024
It was first conceived in 1957 by Pennsylvania's C. Walton Musser, a wonderfully creative inventor with patents on everything from power steering systems, recoilless rifles and pneumatic life jacket inflators, through to many key ideas underpinning jet aircraft ejection seats.
—New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
The actress also reflected on their relationship and decision to conceive their one-year-old son Leo together.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 31 Oct. 2024
For women, there are particular metrics focused on reproductive health, addressing those who are planning to conceive or experiencing early menopause.
—Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for conceive
Articles Related to conceive
Dictionary Entries Near conceive
Cite this Entry
“Conceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conceive. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
conceive
verb
con·ceive
kən-ˈsēv 
conceived; conceiving
1
: to become pregnant or pregnant with
conceive a child
2
a
: to take into the mind
conceived a liking for the singer
b
: to form an idea of : imagine
conceive a new design
3
: to have as an opinion : think
conceived of her as a genius
conceivable
adjective
-ˈsē-və-bəl
conceivably
adverb
-blē
conceiver
noun
Medical Definition
conceive
verb
con·ceive
kən-ˈsēv
conceived; conceiving
: to become pregnant with (young)
: to become pregnant
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share