conceive

verb

kuhn-SEEV/kənˈsiːv/

4 meanings of conceive

1
verbtransitive
To think up a new idea or plan in your mind.
Like drawing a picture in your head before putting it on paper.
She conceived a clever plan to surprise her friends.
Can you conceive a better way to solve this problem?
Similardevise, envision, imagine, design, invent
2
verbtransitive or intransitivewith of
To picture something in your mind, or to think of it as being a certain way.
Like having a clear picture in your mind of how something is.
Many people conceive of time as a straight line.
He conceives the universe as endless and unknowable.
Similarimagine, picture, envision, envisage, view
3
verbtransitive or intransitive
To become pregnant and start growing a baby.
Like a seed beginning to grow into a new plant.
After years of trying, they finally conceived their first child.
Doctors told her she might still conceive naturally.
4
verbtransitive
To understand a person and what they are saying or what they are like.
Similarunderstand, comprehend, grasp, follow
Oppositemisunderstand

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It came from Latin "concipere," meaning to conceive or devise, and reached English through Old French.