idea
noun
ī-ˈdē-ə 
-ˈdēə,
also
ˈī-(ˌ)dē-ə
or ˈī-dē
1
: a formulated thought or opinion
2
: whatever is known or supposed about something
a child's idea of time
3
: the central meaning or chief end of a particular action or situation
4
5
a
: an entity (such as a thought, concept, sensation, or image) actually or potentially present to consciousness
b
: an indefinite or unformed conception
c
obsolete
: an image recalled by memory
6
Christian Science
: an image in Mind
7
archaic
: a visible representation of a conception : a replica of a pattern
Synonyms
Examples of idea in a Sentence
My idea is to study law.
Starting her own business seemed like a good idea at the time, but it turned out badly.
Whose idea was it to leave so early?
My idea was that if we left early we could beat the crowd.
Buying the car was a bad idea.
I have some ideas for redecorating the room.
He has an idea for a movie.
I'm not sure what to do next. Do you have any ideas?
She's always full of new ideas.
It's a good idea to talk to people who have actually been there.
Recent Examples on the Web
Two to three yards, everybody’s got the good ideas.
—
Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
For more gift ideas, be sure to check out our picks for the 10 top Amazon Black Friday deals here and the 10 top Walmart Black Friday deals here.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
After an overly serious first season, Legends of Tomorrow began a stunning pivot to tongue-in-cheek sci-fi romp that chewed through gags, ideas, and cast members with reckless abandon to become the Arrowverse’s greatest success, and a show that felt distinctly its own.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
But some of Trump’s ideas, especially moving the country to a system in which voters can only cast a ballot on Election Day, is unlikely, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for idea 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
For more gift ideas, be sure to check out our picks for the 10 top Amazon Black Friday deals here and the 10 top Walmart Black Friday deals here.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
After an overly serious first season, Legends of Tomorrow began a stunning pivot to tongue-in-cheek sci-fi romp that chewed through gags, ideas, and cast members with reckless abandon to become the Arrowverse’s greatest success, and a show that felt distinctly its own.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
But some of Trump’s ideas, especially moving the country to a system in which voters can only cast a ballot on Election Day, is unlikely, said Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for idea
Articles Related to idea
Dictionary Entries Near idea
Cite this Entry
“Idea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idea. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idea
noun
ī-ˈdē-ə
ˈīd-(ˌ)ē-ə
1
: a plan of action : intention
my idea is to study law
2
: something imagined or pictured in the mind : notion
form an idea of a place from reading
3
: a central meaning or purpose
the idea of the game is to score goals
4
: comprehension sense 2
had no idea what he meant
5
: an opinion or belief
has some strange ideas
Medical Definition
idea
noun1
: an entity (as a thought, concept, sensation, or image) actually or potentially present to consciousness
2
: a formulated thought or opinion
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