1. Plural of conceptualist; philosophers or thinkers who believe that concepts or ideas are fundamental to understanding reality, rather than concrete objects or sense experience alone.
Usage: philosophy; academic
2. Artists or practitioners who practice conceptual art, an art movement emphasizing the idea or concept behind a work over its visual or material form.
Usage: art; contemporary

Examples

• Medieval conceptualists debated whether universal concepts existed independently of the mind.
• The conceptualists in the philosophy department challenged the empiricist view of knowledge.
• Many conceptualists of the 1960s rejected the importance of technical skill in favor of intellectual content.
• The gallery featured works by conceptualists who used language and documentation as their primary medium.
• Conceptualists argue that understanding art requires engaging with its underlying ideas, not just its appearance.