conceive

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

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.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with conceive

conceive of Prepositional verb C1

to imagine something or form an idea of it

Thesaurus

Synonyms

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

Word family

Forms conceivdconceivedconceivesconceivethconceiving

Derived forms conceivabilityconceivableconceiverforeconceivemalconceivedmisconceivenonconceivingpreconceivereconceiveunconceivedunconceiving

Related forms concept conception

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

conceive of
to imagine something or form an idea of it

Verb + preposition/particle

Simplified etymology

Conceive dates from Middle English and ultimately derives from Latin capere ‘take or hold’; its literal sense is ‘take together’.

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

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# 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
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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