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preconceived opinion

preconceived opinion

1 5.3
An opinion you form before you know enough facts
  • noun
  • /ˌpriːkənˈsiːvd əˈpɪnjən/
translation icon : opinión preconcebida
  • It's important to challenge preconceived opinions and remain open to new ideas.

Examples

  • Still, I have the intelligence to look at the information and discern what is true and what is just people spewing their preconceived opinions into every topic.

    Blog text (25)
  • As was noted by Einstein, "If, in fact, the researcher approaches things without any preconceived opinion, how could he even pick out facts from the immense abundance of complicated experience that are simple enough that the laws become apparent?"

    Academic text (2012)
  • It's obvious you cannot get past your preconceived opinion of Alex Smith.

    Blog text (2)
  • This is not to suggest that arts reporting should consist of confirming my preconceived opinions.

    Blog text (16)
  • Funny how people seem to find more time to update data that confirms their own preconceived opinions.

    Blog text (14)
  • Indeed, it is sloppy or dishonest, or both, for you, Jeff D, to so carelessly misread the work of others through the lens of your own preconceived opinion.

    Blog text (10)
  • The Third Meditation particularly identifies a suspect "preconceived opinion" as the view that distinct things transmit "ideas or images of themselves through the sense organs or in some other way" (AT VII 40; CSM II 27).

    Academic text (1996)
  • Many people hold preconceived opinions about new technology without fully understanding its benefits.

  • His preconceived opinion of the movie changed after he saw it with an open mind.

Synonyms

speculation
vspreconceived opinion
288 4.8

A guess or idea made without enough proof

is a firmer early opinion rather than a tentative or speculative idea
bias
vspreconceived opinion
  • Specialized
261 5.2

A strong unfair feeling that makes you like or dislike someone and affects decisions

is an early formed opinion that may cause this unfair inclination
sentiment
vspreconceived opinion
185 4.0

An opinion people have that is not based on proof

is that attitude formed early and fixed before fair evaluation
conclusion
vspreconceived opinion
48 2.7

A guess made without enough evidence

is that premature judgment especially formed before enough information
presumption
vspreconceived opinion
35 5.8

An idea accepted as true without proof used as a basis for thinking or action

is an early opinion but often signals unfair judgment rather than logical use
preconception
vspreconceived opinion
19 6.8

An opinion you form before you have enough facts that makes you judge unfairly

is focused on the early opinion itself rather than its bias outcome
preconceived notion
vspreconceived opinion
12 5.6

An opinion you form before you have enough facts

is similar but stresses the resulting unfair judgment rather than just an idea
presupposition
vspreconceived opinion
5 7.7

A belief people accept as true before they discuss something

is an early opinion but not always taken as a working basis
preconceived idea
vspreconceived opinion
3 4.3

An opinion you make before you know the facts

is the same but emphasizes unfair early judgment rather than neutral belief
prejudgment
vspreconceived opinion
2 7.1

An opinion made before you know all the facts

is the same timing but used especially for unfair or premature opinions
prepossession
vspreconceived opinion
9.9

An opinion you form before you know enough

is similar but highlights that this feeling often becomes a prejudice
prenotion
vspreconceived opinion
9.3

An idea you have before you know or see something

is about holding that early impression as a settled judgment
parti pris
vspreconceived opinion
9.9

A strong opinion made before knowing all the facts

is the common expression of that leaning used in everyday contexts
preunderstanding
vspreconceived opinion
  • Specialized
8.4

Knowledge and beliefs a person has before learning something new

is the specific early opinion that those assumptions may create

How Biased

bigotry
  • NSFW
115 7.0
prejudice
180 4.8
preconceived opinion
1 5.3
openness
35 3.9
neutrality
22 4.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

preconceived + opinion

The meaning is directly compositional: 'preconceived' (formed beforehand without sufficient evidence) modifies 'opinion' (a belief), so a learner who knows both words can infer an opinion formed in advance. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift and the pattern is cross-linguistically common, making the phrase immediately predictable to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Preconceived opinion comes from the parts pre- meaning 'before' and conceived meaning 'formed'. It gives the image of an idea made in your mind before you know the facts, so it means an opinion formed 'before' you have enough information.