Conceive — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Conceive (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. to form a mental picture of

   "it takes an idealist to conceive a world without war, and an activist to make it happen"

   similar: conceit (chiefly dialect), conjure (up), dream, envisage, envision, fancy, fantasize, fantasy, feature, ideate, image, imagine, picture, see, vision, visualize
   related: daydream, stargaze, hallucinate, re-create, reflect, relive, reminisce, contemplate, meditate, muse, ponder, ruminate, concoct, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, plan, project, foresee, prefigure

2. to have a clear idea of

   "I cannot conceive the reason for such pointless vandalism"

   similar: appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, comprehend, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand, pick up on
   related: absorb, digest, take in, realize, fathom, penetrate, pierce
   opposite: miss
   near: misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

3. to have as an opinion

   "I just can't conceive that he would have lied"

   similar: allow (chiefly Southern & Midland), believe, consider, deem, esteem, feel, figure, guess, hold, imagine, judge, reckon (chiefly dialect), suppose, think
   related: regard, view, accept, perceive, depend, rely, trust, assume, presume, presuppose, surmise, conclude, deduce, infer
   near: distrust, doubt, mistrust, question, suspect, disbelieve, discredit, reject