CONCEPT Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'concept' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of concept are conception , idea , impression , notion , and thought . While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be. // a society with no concept of private property

Q: How do 'conception' and 'concept' relate to one another?

Conception is often interchangeable with concept ; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result. // our changing conception of what constitutes art

Q: When is it sensible to use 'idea' instead of 'concept'?

The synonyms idea and concept are sometimes interchangeable, but idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed. // innovative ideas // my idea of paradise

Q: When would 'impression' be a good substitute for 'concept'?

The words impression and concept are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses. // the first impression is of soaring height

Q: Where would 'notion' be a reasonable alternative to 'concept'?

The words notion and concept can be used in similar contexts, but notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental. // you have the oddest notions

Q: When could 'thought' be used to replace 'concept'?

The meanings of thought and concept largely overlap; however, thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining. // commit your thoughts to paper

concept

noun

ˈkän-ˌsept

Definition of concept next

as in notion

an idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation trying to change the public's concept of a nightly newscast

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in idea

something imagined or pictured in the mind a concept for a new kind of automobile that could revolutionize the industry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun concept contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of concept are conception, idea, impression, notion, and thought. While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be.

a society with no concept of private property

How do conception and concept relate to one another?

Conception is often interchangeable with concept; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result.

our changing conception of what constitutes art

When is it sensible to use idea instead of concept?

The synonyms idea and concept are sometimes interchangeable, but idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed.

innovative ideas

my idea of paradise

When would impression be a good substitute for concept?

The words impression and concept are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses.

the first impression is of soaring height

Where would notion be a reasonable alternative to concept?

The words notion and concept can be used in similar contexts, but notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental.

you have the oddest notions

When could thought be used to replace concept?

The meanings of thought and concept largely overlap; however, thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining.

commit your thoughts to paper

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of concept Like most top-drawer series these days, from Succession to Ripley, Severance starts with a strong concept and then drives it up, into and along an even stronger narrative. —

Tom Gliatto, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025 On Monday, Liga MX side Club León released a nearly four-minute video, the concept mimicking Ridley Scott’s Gladiator movie franchise, to present signing James Rodriguez. —

Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025 For many, the concept of vulnerability requires unlearning. —

Alan Fleischmann, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025 This is where the concept of experience level objectives (XLOs) comes in—objectives that focus on how customers experience the service, not just how the servers are running. —

Mehdi Daoudi, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for concept

Recent Examples of Synonyms for concept

Noun

Like an adult version of the Heathers of Heathers, the trio are bound by a notion of friendship that is stronger than the truth it is based on.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025
The sharpest remarks of the week came Thursday from Judge Amy Berman Jackson, an Obama appointee who blasted the notion of dismissing cases with prejudice.

— Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Jan. 2025