French word

concocter

Pronunciation

IPA/kɔ̃kɔkte/

Meaning

  • verbdevise

Example

Ils ont concocté une stratégie pour la réunion.

They devised a strategy for the meeting.

Illustration for concocter (devise)

More examples

Elle aime concocter des recettes originales le week-end.

She likes to devise original recipes on weekends.

Core concept

A mixing bowl where separate ingredients become one finished dish, and separate ideas become one plan or solution.

Common phrases

  • concocter une excuse

    make up an excuse

  • concocter un repas

    prepare a meal

  • concocter une recette

    devise a recipe

  • concocter un plan

    devise a plan

Similar words

préparer: To get everything ready for a planned action or event.
organiser: To structure people, resources, or activities for effective execution.
élaborer: To carefully work out a plan or proposal until it takes clear shape.
inventer: To think up and create an original idea, method, or solution.

Definition in French

Préparer en combinant des ingrédients ou des idées, au sens propre pour la cuisine et au sens figuré pour des projets ou des solutions.

Word origin

The verb traces to Latin concoquere, meaning 'to digest' or 'cook together', whose culinary sense supports its later use for combining plans and solutions.

Usage tips

  • For plans or schemes, concocter often sounds playful or mildly ironic, while préparer is more neutral and élaborer is more formal.

Other meanings

  • prepareverb
  • concoctverb
  • fabricateverb

Opposites

Related words

  • concoctionconcoctionnoun
  • concoctéconcoctedadjective

Word lists with this word