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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.

Their approaches differ, but the basic idea is the same: The chatbot remembers what you have told it and uses that to shape future responses.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

The idea grew as organically as the purple cauliflower at Erewhon.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

Together, the evidence points to a striking idea: one path to healthier blood vessels may begin not in the heart, but in the mouth.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

"We did everything. It was a great time to be working, but none of us had any idea what we were in the middle of," says Gillian.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

‘I had no idea what it would be like,’ she said.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver




Vocabulary lists containing idea


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