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Meaning & use

preconceived notions

phrase·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌpriːkənˈsiːvd ˈnəʊʃənz/
US/ˌpriːkənˈsiːvd ˈnoʊʃənz/

Meanings

  1. phraseplural

    Opinions or beliefs you form about someone or something before you have enough real knowledge or experience of it.

    Grammar: Always plural in this phrase; it takes a plural verb, e.g. 'Preconceived notions often turn out to be wrong.'

    Patterns

    • have preconceived notions about someone/something
    • preconceived notions of something
    • challenge preconceived notions
    • based on preconceived notions

    She arrived with preconceived notions about the town and was surprised by how lively it was.

    Good reporters try not to let preconceived notions shape the questions they ask.

    His preconceived notions about the job disappeared after the first week of training.

  2. phrasepluraldisapproving

    Fixed ideas that people hold as a group and rarely question, especially unfair ones about a type of person.

    Grammar: Often used with words like 'social' or 'cultural' before it; the verb stays plural.

    Patterns

    • social preconceived notions
    • cultural preconceived notions
    • preconceived notions about a group

    The film gently pokes fun at social preconceived notions about marriage.

    Teachers are trained to notice their own preconceived notions about which students will do well.

Common combinations

preconceived notions about
He had strong preconceived notions about what life in the countryside would be like.
challenge preconceived notions
The study challenges preconceived notions about how children learn to read.
let go of preconceived notions
To enjoy the trip, you have to let go of your preconceived notions.
preconceived notions of
Her preconceived notions of success changed as she got older.
free from preconceived notions
A good judge should approach each case free from preconceived notions.

Synonyms and how they differ

prejudice
Prejudice is stronger and usually means an unfair dislike of a group of people, while preconceived notions can be neutral or even positive and simply mean ideas formed too early.
bias
Bias suggests a leaning that unfairly favors one side; preconceived notions are the early ideas themselves, which may or may not lead to unfair treatment.
assumptions
Assumptions are things you accept as true without proof; preconceived notions are specifically ideas you already had before learning the facts.

Opposites

open-mindednessobjectivity

Word family

preconceived adjective
Formed before you have enough knowledge or experience, as in 'a preconceived idea'.
preconception noun
A single idea or opinion formed before you know the facts.
conceive verb
To form an idea or plan in your mind.

Commonly confused: preconceived notions or preconceptions? preconceived notions or misconceptions?

preconceived notions vs preconceptions

This is a close relative, not a different word: 'preconceptions' is the countable noun meaning the same early ideas, while 'preconceived notions' is the common fixed phrase.

preconceived notions vs misconceptions

A misconception is a belief that is simply wrong; a preconceived notion is an early belief that may still turn out to be true.

Practice

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