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conceive

Pronunciation: /kənˈsiːv/

Translate conceive | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of conceive

verb

[with object]
  • 1create (an embryo) by fertilizing an egg:she was conceived when her father was 49
  • [no object] (of a woman) become pregnant:five months ago Wendy conceived
  • 2form or devise (a plan or idea) in the mind:the dam project was originally conceived in 1977 (as adjective, with submodifier conceived)a brilliantly conceived and executed robbery
  • form a mental representation of; imagine:without society an individual cannot be conceived as having rights [no object]:we could not conceive of such things happening to us
  • literary become affected by (a feeling):I had conceived a passion for another

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French concevoir, from Latin concipere, from com- 'together' + capere 'take'

Spelling rule

i before e except after c (as in receive).

conceive in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of conceive in the US English dictionary
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