Conceptualize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To form an abstract idea or mental model of something in one's mind
2. To create a clear mental image or idea representing something intangible or abstract
3. To develop a notion or framework in the mind that captures the essence of a subject

Etymology: "Conceptualize" is a plain formation: the adjective "conceptual" with the suffix "-ize" added. "Conceptual" itself comes from Medieval Latin "conceptuālis," built on "conceptus," a past participle of Latin "concipere," meaning "to take in" or "to conceive." That verb is a compound of "con-" ("together") and "capere" ("to take"), so the idea underneath is grasping things together into one thought. The suffix "-ize" has a longer ancestry of its own. It passed from Ancient Greek "-izein" through Late Latin "-izare" and Middle French "-iser" into Middle English, and it became the usual English way of turning adjectives and nouns into verbs. Put together, "conceptualize" means to take an abstract notion and hold it as a definite mental picture.

Synonyms: visualize, imagine

Antonyms: misunderstand