conceive

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /kənˈsiːv/ See IPA manual

Freq #13964

Meanings

1

verb
to think of an idea or plan; to imagine something

They conceived a robot that could help paralysed patients.
2

verb
to imagine that something is possible or true

I can't conceive of him as a leader.
3

verb
to become pregnant

Many couples find it hard to conceive.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to think of an idea or... conceptualizeimagine

Word family

Forms conceivdconceivedconceivesconceivethconceiving

Derived forms conceivabilityconceivableconceiverforeconceivemalconceivedmisconceivenonconceivingpreconceivereconceiveunconceivedunconceiving

Related forms concept conception

Etymology

From Middle English conceyven, from Old French concevoir, conceveir, from Latin concipiō, concipere (“to devise, to conceive”).

*kap- Proto-Indo-European conceyven Middle English concevoir Old French concipio Latin

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# conceive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /kənˈsiːv/
**Frequency rank:** 13964

## Meanings
1. to think of an idea or plan; to imagine something
2. to imagine that something is possible or true
3. to become pregnant

## Examples
- They conceived a robot that could help paralysed patients.
- I can't conceive of him as a leader.
- Many couples find it hard to conceive.

## Derived Forms
- conceivability
- conceivable
- conceiver
- foreconceive
- malconceived
- misconceive
- nonconceiving
- preconceive
- reconceive
- unconceived
- unconceiving

## Related Forms
- concept
- conception

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kap-
- Root: conceyven
- Root: concevoir
- Root: concipio

## Etymology
From Middle English conceyven, from Old French concevoir, conceveir, from Latin concipiō, concipere (“to devise, to conceive”).

## AI Etymology
conceive is a verb. It is from Middle English conceyven, from Old French concevoir, conceveir, from Latin concipiō, concipere (“to devise, to conceive”). Historical forms in the chain include *kap- (Proto-Indo-European), conceyven (Middle English), concevoir (Old French), and concipio (Latin). Current senses include to think of an idea or plan; to imagine something, to imagine that something is possible or true, and to become pregnant. Derived forms include conceivability, conceivable, conceiver, foreconceive, and malconceived. Related words include concept and conception.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Mind & Cognition

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conceive

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