preconceive
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What does preconceive mean? Preconceive means to form an opinion or idea about something before you know anything factual or see any results, as in I don’t preconceive ideas about foods I haven’t tried yet.Preconceive is almost always used in the past tense, as in Watching the film confirmed Raul’s preconceived belief that he would hate it.Preconceive often implies that the reason a person formed an opinion ahead of time is because they have biases or prejudices that are influencing them. For example, you might be biased against vegetables because you haven’t liked any of the ones you’ve tried so far. That bias might lead you to have a preconceived idea that you won’t like a vegetable you’ve never eaten before. But you’ll only know if you like it by trying it.Preconceive is commonly used in the phrase preconceived notions, as in The man’s preconceived notions about rap music prevented him from giving it a fair chance.
Etymology
Origin of preconceive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Generally, he did not prepare before starting a project, wanting to go in without preconceived ideas and using the shoot as his research.
From Barron's
The Hell Cats, as a group, challenge voters’ preconceived notions about who can lead in the United States.
From Salon
The way this Superman battled preconceived notions of who Superman should be was to remove any warm and cuddly aspects of the figure.
Investors are hopeful that he will channel the approach of Druckenmiller, who is relentless in trusting data, rather than preconceived beliefs.
But Ms. Biss was always working, seeing beyond preconceived notions, soaking up experiences and writing about them.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
