conception

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Related to conception: implantation, ovulation

con·cep·tion

(kən-sĕp′shən)

a. Formation of a viable zygote by the union of the male sperm and female ovum; fertilization.

b. The entity formed by the union of the male sperm and female ovum; an embryo or zygote.

a. The ability to form or understand mental concepts and abstractions: happiness beyond conception.

b. Something conceived in the mind or believed by a group of people; a concept, thought, or belief: the medieval conception of justice. See Synonyms at idea.

c. The beginning or formation of an idea or plan: She was involved in the project from its conception.

[Middle English concepcioun, from Old French conception, from Latin conceptiō, conceptiōn-, from conceptus; see concept.]

con·cep′tion·al adj.

con·cep′tive adj.

con·cep′tive·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

conception

(kənˈsɛpʃən)

1. something conceived; notion, idea, design, or plan

2. the description under which someone considers something: her conception of freedom is wrong.

3. (Physiology) the fertilization of an ovum by a sperm in the Fallopian tube followed by implantation in the womb

4. origin or beginning: from its conception the plan was a failure.

5. the act or power of forming notions; invention

[C13: from Latin conceptiō, from concipere to conceive]

conˈceptional, conˈceptive adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•cep•tion

(kənˈsɛp ʃən)

n.

1. the act of conceiving or the state of being conceived.

2. fertilization; the formation of a zygote from the union of sperm and egg.

3. a product of fertilization, as an embryo.

4. a notion; idea; concept.

5. something that is conceived: That theory is the conception of a genius.

6. origination; beginning.

7. a design; plan.

8. the act or power of forming notions, ideas, or concepts.

[1300–50; Middle English < Latin conceptiō <concep-, concipere (see conceive)]

con•cep′tion•al, adj.

con•cep′tive, adj.

syn: See idea.

con·cep·tion

(kən-sĕp′shən)

The formation of a cell capable of developing into a new organism by the union of a sperm and egg cell; fertilization.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	conception - an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances concept, construct idea, thought - the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about; "it was not a good idea"; "the thought never entered my mind" conceptualisation, conceptuality, conceptualization - an elaborated concept notion - a general inclusive concept category - a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations in a conceptual scheme rule, regulation - a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior; "it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast"; "short haircuts were the regulation" attribute, dimension, property - a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished; "self-confidence is not an endearing property" abstract, abstraction - a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance; "he loved her only in the abstract--not in person" quantity - the concept that something has a magnitude and can be represented in mathematical expressions by a constant or a variable division, section, part - one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole; "the written part of the exam"; "the finance section of the company"; "the BBC's engineering division" whole - all of something including all its component elements or parts; "Europe considered as a whole"; "the whole of American literature" natural law, law - a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society law of nature, law - a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature; "the laws of thermodynamics" lexicalized concept - a concept that is expressed by a word (in some particular language) hypothesis, theory, possibility - a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices" fact - a concept whose truth can be proved; "scientific hypotheses are not facts" linguistic rule, rule - (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice misconception - an incorrect conception
	2.	conception - the act of becoming pregnant; fertilization of an ovum by a spermatozoon sex activity, sexual activity, sexual practice - activities associated with sexual intercourse; "they had sex in the back seat"
	3.	conception - the event that occurred at the beginning of something; "from its creation the plan was doomed to failure" creation beginning - the event consisting of the start of something; "the beginning of the war" fecundation, fertilisation, fertilization, impregnation - creation by the physical union of male and female gametes; of sperm and ova in an animal or pollen and ovule in a plant
	4.	conception - the creation of something in the mind invention, excogitation, innovation, design creative thinking, creativeness, creativity - the ability to create concoction - the invention of a scheme or story to suit some purpose; "his testimony was a concoction"; "she has no peer in the concoction of mystery stories" contrivance - the faculty of contriving; inventive skill; "his skillful contrivance of answers to every problem"

conception

noun

1. understanding, idea, picture, impression, perception, clue, appreciation, comprehension, inkling He doesn't have the slightest conception of teamwork.

2. idea, plan, design, image, concept, notion The symphony is admirable in its conception.

3. impregnation, insemination, fertilization, germination Six weeks after conception your baby is the size of your little fingernail.

4. origin, beginning, launching, birth, formation, invention, outset, initiation, inception It is six year's since the project's conception.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

conception

noun

That which exists in the mind as the product of careful mental activity:

concept, idea, image, notion, perception, thought.

Translations

إِدْراك، فَهْم، فِكْرَهحَمْل

početípojetípředstava

begrebforestillingundfangelse

Empfängnis Vorstellung

επινόηση

concepción noción

conception idée

fogamzás

hugmyndtilurî; upphugsun, hugmynd, getnaîur

concepimento concezione idea

begrep forestilling unnfangelse

осознание понимание

düşünce fikirfikir oluşturma

构想概念

conception

[kənˈsepʃən] N

1. [of child, idea] → concepción f
see also immaculate

2. (= idea) → concepto m
a bold conception → un concepto grandioso
he has not the remotest conception of → no tiene ni la menor idea de ...

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

conception

[kənˈsɛpʃ^ən] n

[baby] → conception f

(= idea) → idée f, conception f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

conception

(= forming ideas) → Vorstellung f

(= idea) → Vorstellung f; (= way sth is conceived) → Konzeption f; what’s your conception of the ideal life? → was ist Ihrer Vorstellung nach ein ideales Leben?; the Buddhist conception of life/nature/morality → die buddhistische Auffassung vom Leben/Vorstellung von der Natur/Moralvorstellung; the classical conception of beauty → das klassische Schönheitsideal; they have a totally different conception of justice → sie haben eine völlig unterschiedliche Auffassung or Vorstellung von Gerechtigkeit; in their conception they are … → sie sind von der Konzeption her …; he has no conception of how difficult it is → er macht sich (dat) → keinen Begriff davon or er hat keine Vorstellung, wie schwer das ist

(of child) → die Empfängnis, die Konzeption (form)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

conception

[kənˈsɛpʃ/ən] n

a. (idea) → concetto, concezione f

b. (of child) → concepimento

concept

(ˈkonsept) noun

an idea or theory. His design was a new concept in town-planning.

conception (kənˈsepʃən) noun

1. the act of conceiving.

2. an idea grasped or understood. We can have no conception of the size of the universe.

con·cep·tion

n. concepción, acto de concebir.

conception

n (obst) concepción f

References in classic literature ?

On the other hand, in the 6th and 7th books of the Republic we reach the highest and most perfect conception, which Plato is able to attain, of the nature of knowledge.

But though the conception of the ideas as genera or species is forgotten or laid aside, the distinction of the visible and intellectual is as firmly maintained as ever.

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In a few short years he revolutionized, not the strategy or tactics of sea-warfare, but the very conception of victory itself.

A very few years more and the hazardous difficulties of handling a fleet under canvas shall have passed beyond the conception of seamen who hold in trust for their country Lord Nelson's legacy of heroic spirit.

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I racked my brain, but could in no way account for an action so contrary to my conception of him.

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"I cannot in any case agree with Keiss that my whole conception of the external world has been derived from perceptions.

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I assured him, "how extremely desirous I was that he should be satisfied on every point; but I doubted much, whether it would be possible for me to explain myself on several subjects, whereof his honour could have no conception; because I saw nothing in his country to which I could resemble them; that, however, I would do my best, and strive to express myself by similitudes, humbly desiring his assistance when I wanted proper words;" which he was pleased to promise me.

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Only when we have admitted the conception of the infinitely small, and the resulting geometrical progression with a common ratio of one tenth, and have found the sum of this progression to infinity, do we reach a solution of the problem.

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Sometimes it happens that the most insane thought, the most impossible conception, will become so fixed in one's head that at length one believes the thought or the conception to be reality.

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Perhaps I flatter myself, but I believe that even then, as a boy of sixteen, I fully conceived of Falstaff's character, and entered into the author's wonderfully humorous conception of him.

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The "Chalcedonian giant," Thrasymachus, of whom we have already heard in the Phaedrus, is the personification of the Sophists, according to Plato's conception of them, in some of their worst characteristics.

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Oligarchs and democrats go wrong in their conception of the good.

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