Origin: Latin suffix -al
Conceptual has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
being or characterized by concepts or their formation
"conceptual discussions"
"the schizophrenic loses ability to abstract or do conceptual thinking"
"sex is a notional category, gender is a grammatical category"
Of, or relating to concepts or mental conception; existing in the imagination.
"The conceptual framework of the theory exists entirely within our minds rather than in physical reality."
In plain English: Conceptual means relating to ideas and theories rather than physical objects you can touch.
"The conceptual design for the new building was approved yesterday."
Usage: Use conceptual when describing ideas that exist only as abstract thoughts rather than physical objects. This adjective is often confused with concrete, which refers specifically to things perceived by the senses like sight or touch.
The word comes from the Medieval Latin conceptualis, which was formed from the Latin verb meaning "to take hold of" or "conceive." It entered English through the related noun concept with the suffix -al.