as in theory
an attitude, belief, or impression formed in advance of actual experience of something
tried to go into the training sessions without any preconceptions
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Recent Examples of preconception
Israel’s operational successes have shattered those preconceptions—and opened a window of opportunity to finish dismantling Iran’s regional threat network and build a safer and more stable Middle East.
—
Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025
Why some people love being famous and others hate it
Your preconceptions of fame shape your experience.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Twists play with expectation, challenging initial preconceptions, but there’s no grandstanding.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2025
The main thing isn’t to play into the preconceptions of formalwear, but to chip away at them to find a personal style that works for you.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for preconception
Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025
Why some people love being famous and others hate it
Your preconceptions of fame shape your experience.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Twists play with expectation, challenging initial preconceptions, but there’s no grandstanding.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2025
The main thing isn’t to play into the preconceptions of formalwear, but to chip away at them to find a personal style that works for you.
—Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for preconception
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preconception
Noun
-
But the people interviewed for this story float several theories.—
Tyler Hicks,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
-
As fear grew in 2023 over the failure to reach a deal on raising the debt ceiling, the White House was said to be considering an option of last resort: an untested legal theory that involves invoking the 14th Amendment.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Courts are also increasingly scrutinizing environmental claims—down to the assumptions behind individual offsets.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Mass incarceration, which swept the country in the late twentieth century, rested on the assumption that a person spoiling for a fight with another person was weighing costs: that the difference between ten years and twenty-five would matter.—
Malcolm Gladwell,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preconception.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preconception. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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