conceive

Definition of conceivenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word conceive distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of conceive are envisage, envision, fancy, imagine, realize, and think. While all these words mean "to form an idea of," conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

How do envisage and envision relate to one another, in the sense of conceive?

Both envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation
envisioned a cure for the disease

When could fancy be used to replace conceive?

Although the words fancy and conceive have much in common, fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

In what contexts can imagine take the place of conceive?

While in some cases nearly identical to conceive, imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

When would realize be a good substitute for conceive?

The synonyms realize and conceive are sometimes interchangeable, but realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

When can think be used instead of conceive?

In some situations, the words think and conceive are roughly equivalent. However, think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of conceive That's a pre-launch tradition first conceived during NASA's early Gemini program, according to the agency. Miles Doran, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2026 In 2016, Brooks could not even conceive of the spasms and breaches of etiquette that Trumpism would produce on an almost daily basis. Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 It was first conceived as Taj International Airport in 2001, but the real planning began in 2018 and 2019. Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026 For a decade, the Chapeks had tried unsuccessfully to conceive. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conceive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceive
Verb
  • Could one imagine immersive experiences distributed across geographies in ways that connect local nodes of creation in networks that blend physical and virtual presence?
    Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026
  • That just felt so, almost traumatizing to even imagine.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • New transparency tools aim to help travelers understand disruptions and reduce frustration during delays and cancellations.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
  • And to have a guy like him who understands what the competition looks like on the floor, but is still here to kind of enhance the environment, help celebrate his teammates, give his teammates wisdom.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • What was John thinking before the surface of the water appeared before his windshield, rushing forward at terrifying speed?
    Jeffrey Eugenides, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
  • How many average people have once thought about harming ourselves or others?
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Neither is the location of the new stadium ideal -- or what was first envisioned, 12 years ago, as a waterfront facility nearer the Port of Miami or off Biscayne Bay neighboring the Heat arena.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
  • As his profile rose after 2021’s The Man From Waco, which too was initially envisioned as a concept record, Crockett found his crowds especially engaged with his onstage banter.
    Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.
    Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
  • But Bella knows academic success isn't enough on its own.
    Robbie Owens, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This was believed to be the first time in baseball history a player has robbed three homers in one game.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Police said it was believed the driver initiated the right turn and hit the bicyclist, a 69-year-old man from Joliet, believed to have been traveling eastbound on the sidewalk on the south side of West Jefferson Street and had entered the roadway to cross Springfield Avenue.
    Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Malikah Auguste, a ninth-grader at Cristo Rey and an intern with Miami Lighthouse, saw the impact the visit had on her classmates.
    Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Whizzing by the moon up to 6,000 miles above the surface, the astronauts will also glimpse the celestial body's full disk, seeing sights that not even the Apollo astronauts witnessed.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Hard sci-fi, meanwhile, leans into the fact that life evolving on other planets, under different conditions, and across different stretches of time will almost certainly take on forms so different from ours that comprehending them would be like imagining a new color.
    Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The ability to read and comprehend is a foundational skill without which students are doomed to fail in mathematics and other subject matters.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Conceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceive. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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