Concept: An Idea You Can Work With
A concept is an abstract idea or general notion. In design and business it means a proposed plan, and a concept car is one built to show an idea rather than to sell.
A concept is a general idea formed in the mind — not a specific instance but the pattern behind many of them. Commerce uses the word more loosely, where a concept is a proposal shown to test a reaction: a concept car exists to be looked at, not driven home.
- An abstract idea. *The concept of fairness.*
- A plan or design proposal. *An early concept for the building.*
- A theme behind a product or venue. *A restaurant with an unusual concept.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | concept | A difficult concept. |
| Adjective | conceptual | A conceptual framework. |
| Verb | conceive | Hard to conceive of. |
| Noun | conception | The conception of the project. |
| Adjective | conceivable | Every conceivable option. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The concept is simple; the execution is not.A common contrast in design and management.
- Conceptual art values the idea over the object.The movement's founding claim.
- Concept cars rarely reach production unchanged.They test public reaction to a design language.
Concept, idea, theory and notion
- Concept — a general mental category, or a worked-up proposal
- Idea — the broadest word, from a passing thought to a plan
- Theory — an explanation that can be tested against evidence
- Notion — a vague or casual idea, often used dismissively
- Principle — a rule that guides action rather than describes a category
From Latin *conceptum*, something conceived, from *concipere*, to take in — the same verb behind conceive and conception. English kept both the mental and the biological branch of that one word.
Concept or idea?
Concept is more formal and suggests something worked out. Idea covers everything from a whim to a plan.
What is proof of concept?
A small demonstration that something can work at all, built before anyone invests in a full version.