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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.

Since then, it has mostly been left to nature, although the Big Idea science centre opened on the peninsula about 26 years ago.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

Siddharth Soni, 23, showed AFP a box of AI-designed jewellery, mostly in classical Indian style, made by the company Idea Jewellery which he co-founded in 2023.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Appeared in the January 3, 2026, print edition as 'Ozempic Melted Away Weight—and the Idea of ‘Body Positivity’'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Our guest this week is Dartmouth historian Randall Balmer, author of “America’s Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State.”

From Salon • Jun. 13, 2025

Someone had scribbled “First and Worst Idea Ever” on the front of the envelope with a Magic Marker.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein




Vocabulary lists containing idea


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