preconceived

preconceived — adjective

1. holding a particular idea or opinion before examining all the facts, so that the

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

holding a particular idea or opinion before examining all the facts, so that the view may be unfair or inaccurate.

Example

Christopher's preconceived ideas about the city changed once he actually visited.

preconceived + ideas about [something]

The hiring manager tried to set aside any preconceived notions about the candidates.

set aside preconceived notions

Common collocations
  • preconceived idea
  • preconceived notion
  • preconceived opinion
  • preconceived view
  • preconceived judgment
Synonyms
  • pre-formed

    neutral term with less negative connotation

  • prejudiced

    stronger negative tone, implies unfair bias against people or groups

  • biased

    focuses on one-sidedness rather than timing of the opinion

Antonyms
  • open-minded

    willing to consider new information before forming an opinion

  • unbiased

    free from personal preference or prior influence

Grammar Patterns

preconceived + noun (idea/notion/opinion/view/judgment)

Usage Note

Almost always used attributively (directly before a noun). The most common noun partners are "idea", "notion", "opinion", "view", and "judgment". This adjective has no comparative or superlative form.

Common Mistakes

They had a preconceived mind about the plan.
They had a preconceived idea about the plan.
'preconceived' modifies nouns like 'idea' or 'opinion', not 'mind'.

Word family

  • preconceive
    verbC1
  • preconception
    nounB2
  • unpreconceived
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While all four words describe opinions formed before full examination, they differ in scope and tone. "Pre-formed" is a neutral, mechanical term — you simply formed the idea earlier (e.g., a pre-formed plan). "Preconceived" adds the sense that the idea is resistant to new evidence; it is the most common word for opinions about people, places, or situations. "Prejudiced" goes further — it implies hostility or unfairness, particularly toward people or groups, and carries strong negative moral weight. "Biased" is broader, describing any systematic tilt in judgment, whether conscious or not. "Predetermined" suggests that the outcome was fixed in advance by outside forces. For everyday use, choose "preconceived" when you mean an opinion held stubbornly before enough facts arrive.

pre-formedprejudicedbiasedpredetermined

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • firmly preconceived
  • deeply preconceived

Phrases

  • preconceived ideas about
  • set aside preconceived notions
  • challenge preconceived views

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the prefix 'pre-' (meaning 'before') and 'conceived' (from Latin 'concipere', meaning 'to take into the mind, to form an idea'). The word entered English in the mid-1500s, originally used in legal and philosophical writing about ideas formed before all the evidence was gathered.