conceive

One entry found.

Main Entry: con·ceive

Pronunciation: \kən-ˈsēv\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): con·ceived; con·ceiv·ing

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French conceivre, from Latin concipere to take in, conceive, from com- + capere to take — more at heave

Date: 14th century

transitive verb 1 a : to become pregnant with (young) <conceive a child> b : to cause to begin : originate <a project conceived by the company's founder>
2 a : to take into one's mind <conceive a prejudice> b : to form a conception of : imagine <a badly conceived design>
3 : to apprehend by reason or imagination : understand <unable to conceive his reasons>
4 : to have as an opinion <I cannot conceive that he acted alone>intransitive verb 1 : to become pregnant
2 : to have a conception —usually used with of <conceives of death as emptiness>

synonyms see think

— con·ceiv·er noun

Learn more about "conceives"

Learn more about "conceives" and related topics at Britannica.com

Pronunciation Symbols