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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.

Research published after the 2023 study has continued to support the idea that fasting can influence the gut microbiome, although the evidence remains complex.

From Science Daily • May 31, 2026

His idea is that France could use its network of nuclear power plants to fuel the energy-hungry facilities—rather than export the nation’s surplus electricity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

He’s old enough to be fascinated by the idea of liminality because it represents the destruction of a facet of life that was once objectively true: community.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

The dancing isn’t always smooth, the costumes struck me as a road show idea of New York cool, and the acting didn’t do much to compensate for some of the book’s less subtle moments.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

He wanted to refute the idea that in the space of a day, the pesky badger had found a way to burrow into his heart.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman




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