conceptual
/kənˈsep.tʃu.əl/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Based on ideas or a general theory, not on real things you can touch or see. It often describes thinking, planning, or art that is about ideas rather than practical details.
- We need a conceptual plan before we start.
- Her design is more conceptual than practical.
- The lecture was too conceptual for some students.
Adinary Nuance
Conceptual is stronger than practical in the opposite direction: it talks about ideas, models, or theory. It is close to abstract, but abstract often means not concrete or not physical, while conceptual often means 'based on a concept or framework'. Writers use conceptual when they want to stress thinking at a high level, especially in study, business, and art.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- mang tính khái niệm
- Spanish
- conceptual
- Chinese
- 概念性的
- Japanese
- 概念的な
- Korean
- 개념적인
Etymology
Conceptual comes from concept, from Latin conceptus, meaning 'a thought' or 'an idea'. It entered English in the 17th century and kept its focus on ideas and theories.
Common phrases
conceptual frameworkconceptual designconceptual modelconceptual art
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is conceptual a formal word?
- Yes, it is fairly formal. People often use it in academic, business, and design contexts.
- What is the difference between conceptual and abstract?
- Conceptual means based on ideas or a concept. Abstract means not concrete, or difficult to picture clearly.
- Can I use conceptual in everyday English?
- Yes, but it sounds more natural in study or professional writing than in casual speech.
- What does conceptual thinking mean?
- It means thinking about the big idea or overall structure, not small details.