concept, conception, construct

an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances

• conceptualization, conceptualisation, conceptuality — an elaborated concept
• notion — a general inclusive concept
• category — a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations in a conceptual scheme
• rule, regulation — a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
• property, attribute, dimension — a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished
• abstraction, abstract — a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance
• quantity — something that has a magnitude and can be represented in mathematical expressions by a constant or a variable
• part, section, division — one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole
• whole — all of something including all its component elements or parts
• law, natural law — a rule or body of rules of conduct inherent in human nature and essential to or binding upon human society
• law, law of nature — a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature
• lexicalized concept — a concept that is expressed by a word (in some particular language)
• hypothesis, possibility, theory — a tentative theory about the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena
• fact — a concept whose truth can be proved
• rule, linguistic rule — (linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice
• imaginary being, imaginary creature — a creature of the imagination

• idea, thought — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about