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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.

See Examples For:

And we took our cue, having done all this research into stuff that Elon said, from something he kept going over again: This idea that we’re likely living in a simulation.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

Broadcasters have ramped up experiments with format, style and tone - Disney+ even had a dog on set during their coverage - but perhaps unsurprisingly, not every idea proves to be successful.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

So, given that you are still working and earning a good income, I understand your idea of investing your checks.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Investors everywhere should understand why the idea of canceling debt keeps cropping up and what it would mean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Most of those coming to the services had no idea of the double life of the Beje.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

"He looked like a manager who was out of ideas," McCarthy told BBC Sport.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

She thought he was going to continue to be a bull in a china shop, big swings and big ideas and asking for forgiveness, not permission.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Researchers hope the databases created using the digitised text -- which he likens to a kind of "huge Facebook of the past" -- could help bring to light links between people, places and ideas.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

He was open to all kinds of ideas, including a dental-flossing gadget that went nowhere and a successful heart defibrillator.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

He wanted to turn over in bed and fall back to sleep, but his stomach had other ideas.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova


Vocabulary lists containing idea

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