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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.

It was an idea reflected in Lincoln’s description, as he assumed office in 1861, of Americans as an “almost chosen people.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“The idea was the battleship had big enough guns they could shoot far enough that it generally was able to shoot from outside the range of most of its opponents,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The question is playful and unrealistic, but it points to a serious idea: the tension between quantity and quality.

From Science Daily

It’s a very rare thing to be in a position where you can pitch an idea about your character.

From The Wall Street Journal

What saves me in my life is having ideas.”

From Los Angeles Times