conceptional

Conceptional is an adjective that relates to conception—the act of conceiving a child—or to the formation of a concept or idea. It can be used in two related senses: a) in a biological or reproductive context, referring to conception, and b) in a cognitive context, referring to the act or process of forming a notion.

In modern English, conceptual is the more common term for ideas, theories, or mental representations. Conceptional is relatively rare and is often regarded as archaic or stylistically marked. Some writers use conceptional to emphasize the generative or formative aspect of conceiving a concept, but this usage is not widely established and can be seen as unconventional.

In philosophy, design, or pedagogy, conceptional can appear to stress the act of forming a concept rather than its content, though many readers would substitute conceptual for clarity. In biological literature, conceptional may occur in older texts to describe aspects related to conception; contemporary writing typically uses terms like conception, gestation, or fetal development instead.

Examples of usage include phrases such as conceptional framework or conceptional reasoning, which are more commonly expressed as conceptual framework or conceptual reasoning. When choosing between the two, practitioners generally favor conceptual to denote the realm of ideas, and reserve conceptional for contexts that explicitly reference conception or the act of conceiving.

See also: conception, conceptual, concept.