conceive
verb OPAL W
/kənˈsiːv/
/kənˈsiːv/
Word Family
- conceive verb
- conceivable adjective (≠ inconceivable)
- conceivably adverb
- concept noun
- conception noun
- conceptual adjective
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they conceive | /kənˈsiːv/ /kənˈsiːv/ |
| he / she / it conceives | /kənˈsiːvz/ /kənˈsiːvz/ |
| past simple conceived | /kənˈsiːvd/ /kənˈsiːvd/ |
| past participle conceived | /kənˈsiːvd/ /kənˈsiːvd/ |
| -ing form conceiving | /kənˈsiːvɪŋ/ /kənˈsiːvɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] conceive something (formal) to form an idea, a plan, etc. in your mind
- He conceived the idea of transforming the old power station into an arts centre.
- The dam project was originally conceived in 1977.
Extra Examples- They conceived of a theory and stuck to it.
- The course is very broadly conceived.
- The plan was brilliantly conceived.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- brilliantly
- carefully
- well
- …
- cannot
- be difficult to
- be impossible to
- …
- of
- [transitive] (often used in negative sentences) (formal) to imagine something
- conceive of somebody/something (as something) God is often conceived of as male.
- conceive (that)… I cannot conceive (= I do not believe) (that) he would wish to harm us.
- conceive what/how, etc… I cannot conceive what it must be like.
Extra Examples- It is difficult to conceive of a society without money.
- I cannot conceive why you paid out so much money.
- We conceive of ourselves as individuals.
- [intransitive, transitive] when a woman conceives or conceives a child, she becomes pregnant
- She is unable to conceive.
- conceive somebody Their first child was conceived on their wedding night.
- She was unable to conceive a child naturally and was offered fertility treatment.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- naturally
- immaculately
- be able to
- be unable to
see also conception
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French concevoir, from Latin concipere, from com- ‘together’ + capere ‘take’.