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preconception

noun · adjective

Simple meaning

An opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

preekuhnsehpshuhn

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

pɹikənˈsɛpʃən

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. An opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence

    “He did not even try to confirm his preconceptions.”

  2. An opinion formed before obtaining adequate evidence, especially as the result of bias or prejudice.

  3. A partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation

  4. A prejudice that prevents rational consideration of an issue.

adjective

  1. medicine

    Preconceptional.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Frequency
Rare
Formality
Technical

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: An opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence

Used this way, preconception is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence
“He did not even try to confirm his preconceptions.”
Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • preconceived notion , rarer, so it draws attention
  • preconceived idea , rarer, so it draws attention
  • preconceived opinion , rarer, so it draws attention
  • prepossession , rarer, so it draws attention
  • parti pris , rarer, so it draws attention

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use preconception

  • “He did not even try to confirm his preconceptions.”noun

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

preconception carepreconception counselingsome preconceptionpreconception periodpreconception healthpreconception visitpreconception planningpreconception counselling

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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence

preconceived notionRarepreconceived ideaRarepreconceived opinionRare

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.