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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.

As for where the regime has chosen to move money, Nadimi said, “They probably learned from the Russian oligarchs that investing in London real estate was a good idea.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But even with discipline, the reason “no side quests” is such a bad idea is that success comes via surprises.

From The Wall Street Journal

The idea that jobs will disappear is the next trope to fall.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the past two weeks, the idea has sunk in that damage to global energy supplies won’t quickly be reversed.

From MarketWatch

"It has never been a marketing ploy for me... but I never had any idea how much it would facilitate our business," he said.

From BBC