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View synonyms for idea

idea

[ ahy-dee-uh, ahy-deeuh ]

noun

  1. any conception existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness, or activity.
  2. a thought, conception, or notion:

    That is an excellent idea.

  3. an impression:

    He gave me a general idea of how he plans to run the department.

  4. an opinion, view, or belief:

    His ideas on raising children are certainly strange.

    Synonyms: judgment, sentiment

  5. a plan of action; an intention:

    the idea of becoming an engineer.

  6. a groundless supposition; fantasy.
  7. Philosophy.
    1. a concept developed by the mind.
    2. a conception of what is desirable or ought to be; ideal.
    3. (initial capital letter) Platonism. Also called form. an archetype or pattern of which the individual objects in any natural class are imperfect copies and from which they derive their being.
    4. Kantianism. idea of pure reason.
  8. Music. a theme, phrase, or figure.
  9. Obsolete.
    1. a likeness.
    2. a mental image.


Idea

1

/ aɪˈdɪə /

noun

  1. another name for Form
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


idea

2

/ aɪˈdɪə /

noun

  1. any content of the mind, esp the conscious mind
  2. the thought of something

    the very idea appals me

  3. a mental representation of something

    she's got a good idea of the layout of the factory

  4. the characterization of something in general terms; concept

    the idea of a square circle is self-contradictory

  5. an individual's conception of something

    his idea of honesty is not the same as yours and mine

  6. the belief that something is the case

    he has the idea that what he's doing is right

  7. a scheme, intention, plan, etc

    here's my idea for the sales campaign

  8. a vague notion or indication; inkling

    he had no idea of what life would be like in Africa

  9. significance or purpose

    the idea of the game is to discover the murderer

  10. philosophy
    1. a private mental object, regarded as the immediate object of thought or perception
    2. a Platonic Idea or Form
  11. music a thematic phrase or figure; motif
  12. obsolete.
    a mental image
  13. get ideas
    to become ambitious, restless, etc
  14. not one's idea of
    not what one regards as (hard work, a holiday, etc)
  15. that's an idea
    that is worth considering
  16. the very idea!
    that is preposterous, unreasonable, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage

It is usually considered correct to say that someone has the idea of doing something, rather than the idea to do it: he had the idea of taking (not the idea to take ) a short holiday
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Derived Forms

  • iˈdealess, adjective
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Other Words From

  • i·dea·less adjective
  • prei·dea noun
  • subi·dea noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of idea1

First recorded in 1400–50; from Late Latin from Greek idéā “form, pattern,” equivalent to ide- (stem of ideîn “to see”) + feminine noun ending; replacing late Middle English idee from Middle French from Late Latin, as above; akin to wit 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of idea1

C16: via Late Latin from Greek: model, pattern, notion, from idein to see
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Idioms and Phrases

see bright idea ; put ideas in someone's head ; what's the idea .
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Example Sentences

Gin was just a flickering idea, the way some journos muse about writing novels.

From Ozy

As a means to help their patients talk about sexual freedom and risk-taking, sex therapists were using the idea of getting out of a physical comfort zone in the outdoors.

Bernard Azevedo, the terminated CPUC auditor who first alleged that $200 million was outstanding, said in an interview that he has been worried all along that the CPUC has little idea of what it is owed.

Finally, because lab testing reflects only a narrow percentage of real-life crashes, we have little idea about how realistic it is.

What’s particularly puzzling about Roy’s comments is this idea that mentioning Wright’s diagnosis is somehow partisan.

We need to recover and grow the idea that the proper answer to bad speech is more and better speech.

The use of slurs from both characters makes it clear just how “new” the idea of an openly gay son is even in this time.

I like the idea of Jon Hamm… There have been discussions—though I'm not sure how serious they've been.

But at the heart of this “Truther” conspiracy theory is the idea that “someone” wants to destroy Bill Cosby.

“The US cannot tolerate the idea of any rival economic entity,” Stone writes.

If you have any thoughts of influencing me or my men to join the regular Confederate army, you may as well give up the idea.

His idea was that there would be ample time later to order a concentration on either wing or on the centre.

I cannot reconcile the idea of a tender Heavenly Father with the known horrors of war, slavery, pestilence, and insanity.

While Benjy sat contemplating this creature, and wondering what was to be the end of it all, a bright idea occurred to him.

This was such a ridiculous idea that Davy threw back his head, and laughed long and loud.

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When To Use

What are other ways to say idea?

An idea is any conception existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness, or activity. How is idea different from thought, conception, and notion? Learn more on Thesaurus.com

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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IDEidea hamster