verb
conceive
kuhn-SEEV
verb
1
To become pregnant.
"They had been trying to conceive for over a year."
2
To form an idea or plan in one's mind; to imagine or devise.
"The architect conceived the design after visiting the site."
"It's hard to conceive how different life was before smartphones."
How to Use Conceive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither to become pregnant, or to come up with an idea or plan.
Common pairings
conceive a child
conceive an idea
conceive of something
Word Forms
conceived past tense, conceives singular
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Etymology
From Old French concevoir, from Latin concipiō, "to take in, devise, conceive."