Other forms: conceived, conceiving, conceives
To conceive is to form an idea for the first time. Conceive a plan, hard to conceive, conceived in about 1890.
Conceive of is used with a noun: conceive of a world without it. Cannot conceive means cannot imagine, and it is a strong statement. The other sense is to become pregnant: conceive a child, unable to conceive — and conception covers both the idea and the biology, which is a coincidence of Latin rather than a metaphor. Note preconceived, and inconceivable.
1verbconceiveTo form an idea for the first time.
“The idea for the book was conceived during a long train journey.”
2verbbecomeTo become pregnant.
“After years of trying, they finally conceived their first child.”
conceive is a forming or beginning.
Latin concipere is con- plus capere, to take — to take in. The mental and biological senses were both in the Latin, so English inherited the double meaning rather than inventing it.
Proto-Indo-European
*kap-
Latin
concipio — to devise, to conceive
Old French
concevoir
Middle English
conceyven
English, today
conceive
From Middle English conceyven, from Old French concevoir, conceveir, from Latin concipio (“to devise, to conceive”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA