French word

concevoir

Pronunciation

IPA/kɔ̃səvwaʁ/

Meaning

  • verbimagine

Example

Je ne peux pas concevoir une telle chose.

I can't imagine such a thing.

Illustration for concevoir (imagine)

More examples

Nous pouvons concevoir un plan en quelques minutes.

We can devise a plan in a few minutes.

Core concept

A form or plan takes shape inside the mind, and a child can likewise begin to take shape in the body.

Common phrases

  • concevoir un plan

    devise a plan

  • concevoir une stratégie

    devise a strategy

Similar words

imaginer: To form a mental picture of a scene or appearance not yet seen.
inventer: To devise a new idea or way of doing something.
créer: To produce a physical object with hands or tools.
planifier: To plan when tasks will happen and the order they will follow.

Definition in French

Imaginer ou élaborer mentalement la forme, le plan ou le fonctionnement d'un projet, d'un objet ou d'une idée; peut aussi s'employer pour la grossesse (concevoir un enfant).

Word origin

Concevoir comes through Old French from Latin concipere, 'take together', whose sense of forming or receiving something led to ideas, designs, and conception.

Usage tips

  • For a neutral everyday 'imagine', imaginer is usually more common, while concevoir often suggests forming an idea or understanding something.

Other meanings

  • designverb
  • deviseverb
  • become pregnantverb

Related words

Word lists with this word