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Definitions

idea

[ahy-dee-uh, ahy-deeuh] / aɪˈdi ə, aɪˈdiə /


Usage

What are other ways to say idea? The noun idea, although it may refer to thoughts of any degree of seriousness or triviality, is commonly used for mental concepts considered more important or elaborate: We pondered the idea of the fourth dimension. The idea of his arrival frightened me. Thought, which reflects its primary emphasis on the mental process, may denote any concept except the more weighty and elaborate ones: I welcomed his thoughts on the subject. A thought came to him. Conception suggests a thought that seems complete, individual, recent, or somewhat intricate: The architect's conception delighted them. Notion suggests a fleeting, vague, or imperfect thought: a bare notion of how to proceed.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Brittany Adamson, a nurse practitioner who brought the idea to the clinic, asked before the procedure.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This idea that we’re just going to spray, hose down these creeks and leave them dead is unacceptable.”

From Los Angeles Times

The spokesperson added politics should be about "ideas and service to our communities, not personal attacks or abuse".

From BBC

Still, advances in the AI labs and noticeable improvements in the chatbots fuel more ideas of what could come.

From The Wall Street Journal

“So the idea of them switching sides, I think, is unlikely.”

From The Wall Street Journal