con•cep•tion |kənˈsep sh ən|
noun
1. the action of conceiving a child or of a child being conceived : an unfertilized egg before conception | a rise in premarital conceptions.
• the forming or devising of a plan or idea : the time between a product's conception and its launch.
2. the way in which something is perceived or regarded : our conception of how language relates to reality.
• a general notion; an abstract idea : the conception of a balance of power.
• a plan or intention : reconstructing Bach's original conceptions.
• understanding; ability to imagine : he had no conceptions of politics.

conception |thesaurus|
noun
1. from conception until natural death INCEPTION OF PREGNANCY, conceiving, fertilization, impregnation, insemination.
2. the product's conception INCEPTION, genesis, origination, creation, invention; beginning, origin.
3. his original conception PLAN, scheme, project, proposal; intention, aim, idea.
4. my conception of democracy IDEA, concept, notion, understanding, abstraction; theory, hypothesis; perception, image, impression.
5. they had no conception of our problems UNDERSTANDING, comprehension, appreciation, grasp, knowledge; idea, inkling; informal clue.