TOP

Definition of conception noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

conception

noun
 
/kənˈsepʃn/
 
/kənˈsepʃn/
Word Family
  • conceive verb
  • conceivable adjective (≠ inconceivable)
  • conceivably adverb (≠ inconceivably)
  • concept noun
  • conception noun
  • conceptual adjective
  • conceptually adverb
  • conceptualize verb
  • misconceive verb
  • misconceived adjective
  • misconception noun
jump to other results
  1. [countable, uncountable] an understanding or a belief of what something/somebody is or what something/somebody should be
    • conception of something Marx’s conception of social justice
    • He has no conception of how difficult life is if you're unemployed.
    • conception that… I had to reassess my conception that she was basically an honest person.
    Extra Examples
    • He has no conception of what it's like to be unemployed.
    • I had a rather romantic conception of life in the country.
    • Our conception of relationships is largely formed in early childhood.
    • Our conceptions of our own society may not always be accurate.
    • liberal conceptions of the role of the state
    • You have no conception of what her life is like.
    • The internet challenges traditional conceptions of copyright.
    • We now have a clearer conception of the problem.
    • Saussure began developing his conception of linguistics in 1916.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • clear
    • distinct
    • broad
    verb + conception
    • have
    • develop
    • challenge
    preposition
    • in conception
    phrases
    • have no conception of something
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable] the process of forming an idea or a plan
    • The plan was brilliant in its conception but failed because of lack of money.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • clear
    • distinct
    • broad
    verb + conception
    • have
    • develop
    • challenge
    preposition
    • in conception
    phrases
    • have no conception of something
    See full entry
  3. [uncountable, countable] the process of an egg being fertilized inside a woman’s body so that she becomes pregnant
    • the moment of conception
    • A child is born about 40 weeks after conception takes place.
    Topics Life stagesc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • immaculate
    verb + conception
    • prevent
    conception + noun
    • probability
    • rate
    preposition
    • at conception
    phrases
    • the moment of conception
    See full entry
  4. see also conceive
    Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin conceptio(n-), from the verb concipere, from com- ‘together’ + capere ‘take’.
See conception in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee conception in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

Other results

All matches
dizzy
adjective
 
 
From the Topic
Health problems
C1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day