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con·cept

(kŏnsĕpt′)

1. A general idea or understanding of something: the concept of inertia; the concept of free will. See Synonyms at idea.

2. A plan or original idea: The original concept was for a building with 12 floors.

3. A unifying idea or theme, especially for a product or service: a new restaurant concept.

adj.

Having an experimental or strikingly different design, especially to test or demonstrate new features: a concept car.

[Late Latin conceptus, from Latin, past participle of concipere, to conceive; see CONCEIVE.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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