Conceptive

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Of or relating to the formation of an idea, image, or understanding in the mind
2. Pertaining to the process by which a thought or concept is formed or grasped mentally
3. Connected with the mental act of forming or comprehending an idea or notion

Etymology: "Conceptive" comes from Latin "conceptivus," the adjective built on "conceptus," the past participle of "concipere," meaning "to take in, conceive." That verb is itself a compound of "com-" (together, thoroughly) and "capere" (to take, seize), so the core idea is of taking something fully into oneself. The same root gave English "concept," "conceive," and "conception," all of which carry the sense of grasping something mentally or physically. In English, "conceptive" has kept closest to the physical side of that Latin sense. It describes what is capable of conceiving or becoming pregnant, and it is used mainly in biology and medicine, where it contrasts with words for the wider business of reproduction. The adjective shares its root with the more common "conceptual," which took the mental meaning and ran with it, so the two words split the original idea of "taking in" between the body and the mind.

Synonyms: conceiving