concept

SayKON-septUS/ˈkɑn.sɛpt/UK/ˈkɒn.sɛpt/

Pluralconcepts

Verbconcepts, concepting, concepted

3 meanings of concept

Practice

1
nouncountable
An abstract or general idea formed in the mind, especially one that captures what particular things or experiences have in common.
The concept of justice underlies most modern legal systems.
It took mathematicians centuries to fully accept the concept of zero as a number in its own right.
UsageUsually the concept of something: the concept of justice; you grasp or explain a concept.
Similaridea, notion, conception
2
think upverbtransitive
To conceive an idea or plan in the mind, or to dream one up.
The writers concepted the entire season on a whiteboard over two long days.
Engineers at the startup concept new features in short sprints, then build only the strongest.
Similardevise, conceive, envision, brainstorm, ideate

Less common meaning

3
noun
In generic programming, a specification of the operations a type must support, together with their syntax and meaning.

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Origin

Latin concipiō ("to take in, conceive") gave conceptus ("a thought, purpose," and also "a conceiving"), which passed into Middle French as concept and then into English. Conceit and concetto are doublets.