concept

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Understanding retained in the mind, from experience, reasoning and imagination; a generalization (generic, basic form), or abstraction (mental impression), of a particular set of instances or occurrences (specific, though different, recorded manifestations of the concept).

   The words conception, concept, notion, should be limited to the thought of what can not be represented in the imagination; as, the thought suggested by a general term.

2. 2
   noun

   an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances

3. 3
   noun

   An abstract and general idea; an abstraction.

4. 4
   noun

   A description of supported operations on a type, including their syntax and semantics.

5. 5
   verb

   To conceive; to dream up.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Italic *kapjō Old Latin kapiō Latin capiō Ancient Greek σῠλλᾰμβᾰ́νω (sŭllămbắnō)calq. Latin concipiō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin conceptusder. Middle French conceptbor. English concept Borrowed from Middle French concept, from Latin conceptus (“a thought, purpose, also a conceiving, etc.”), from concipiō (“to take in, conceive”). Doublet of conceit and concetto. S…