Conception
/kənˈsɛp.ʃən/noun
The act of conceiving; the formation of an idea, plan, or embryo.
Did you know?Conception comes from Latin conceptio, “a taking in, receiving,” from concipere, which originally meant to “take together” or “gather into oneself,” a reminder that ideas and life were once described as something you *receive* rather than simply create.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to seize, take”
Latin
Latin
capere
“to take, seize, grasp”
Latin
Latin
concipere
“to take in, receive, conceive”
Latin
Latin
conceptio
“a taking in, receiving; conception”
Old French
Old French
conception
“conception; idea, understanding”
Middle English
English
concepcion
“conception, the act of conceiving”
Modern English
English
conception
“the act of conceiving; a mental idea or plan”