idea

Syllables: i·dea[ɑjˈdɪː(‿ɹ)]UK/aɪ̯ˈdɪə̯/

idea noun: an abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essence, as opposed to actual examples.

Noun

idea (plural ideas or (philosophy, rare) ideæ)

An abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essence, as opposed to actual examples.
- The idea that the same experiments always get the same results, no matter who performs them, is one of the cornerstones of science’s claim to objective truth. If a systematic campaign of replication does not lead to the same results, then either the original research is flawed (as the replicators...2013 October 19, “Trouble at the lab”, in The Economist, volume 409, number 8858
(obsolete) The conception of someone or something as representing a perfect example; an ideal.
(obsolete) The form or shape of something; a quintessential aspect or characteristic.
- The remembrance whereof (which yet I beare deepely imprinted in my minde) representing me her visage and Idea so lively and so naturally, doth in some sort reconcile me unto her.1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 6, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC
An image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory.
- The mere idea of you is enough to excite me.
More generally, any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking.
- Now all this was very fine, but not at all in keeping with the Celebrity's character as I had come to conceive it. The idea that adulation ever cloyed on him was ludicrous in itself. In fact I thought the whole story fishy, and came very near to saying so.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter III, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC
- Ideas won't go to jail.1952, Alfred Whitney Griswold, (Please provide the book title or journal name)
A conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention.
- I have an idea of how we might escape.
A purposeful aim or goal; intent.
- Yeah, that's the idea.
- My hopes wa'n't disappointed. I never saw clams thicker than they was along them inshore flats. I filled my dreener in no time, and then it come to me that 'twouldn't be a bad idee to get a lot more, take 'em with me to Wellmouth, and peddle 'em out. Clams was fairly scarce over that side of the...1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter III, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC
A vague or fanciful notion; a feeling or hunch; an impression.
- He had the wild idea that if he leant forward a little, he might be able to touch the mountain-top.
A musical theme or melodic subject.

Proper noun capitalized: IDEA

IDEA

(abbreviation, acronym) Acronym of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
- "To fight back, democracies need to protect key elements of democracy, like elections and the rule of law, but also profoundly reform government so that it delivers fairness, inclusion and shared prosperity," the IDEA said.2025 September 11, “US democratic backsliding under Trump encourages autocrats globally, democracy watchdog says”, in Reuters

idea meaning in Hindi, Urdu, Telugu and Arabic

idea in Hindi

an image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory: विचार vicār
any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking: विचार vicār
a conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention: विचार vicār
a vague or fanciful notion; a feeling or hunch; an impression: विचार vicār

idea in Urdu

an image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory: فِکْر fikr, وِچار vicār

idea in Telugu

an image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory: ఉపాయము upāyamu
any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking: అభిప్రాయము abhiprāyamu
a conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention: వ్యూహము vyūhamu
a musical theme or melodic subject: స్వరకల్పన svarakalpana

idea in Arabic

an image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory: فِكْرَة fikra, فِكْر fikr
any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking: فِكْرَة fikra, فِكْر fikr, فكرة fikra

More languagesFewer languages

idea in Indonesian: ide
idea in Thai: ความคิด kwaam-kít
idea in Vietnamese: ý định, tư tưởng, ý niệm
idea in Myanmar: အကြံ a.kram, အိုင်ဒီယာ uingdiya

Examples of idea in a sentence

The idea that the same experiments always get the same results, no matter who performs them, is one of the cornerstones of science’s claim to objective truth.2013 October 19, “Trouble at the lab”, in The Economist, volume 409, number 8858:
But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close.2013 June 1, “End of the peer show”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 71:

All 40 example sentences with idea

Synonyms of idea

image

Forms of idea

plural	ideas
plural (rare)	ideæ

Plural of idea: ideas

Origin of idea

Borrowed from Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “to see”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know; see”). Cognate with French idée. Doublet of idée. Related to idol, idolum, and eidolon.

Words formed from idea

Phrases with idea

6 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with idea

unsphere

Questions about idea

What does idea mean?: Idea means an abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essence, as opposed to actual examples.
What is idea in Hindi?: Idea in Hindi is विचार (vicār). See Idea meaning in Hindi.
How do you use idea in a sentence?: The idea that the same experiments always get the same results, no matter who performs them, is one of the cornerstones of science’s claim to objective truth.
What part of speech is idea?: Idea can be a noun or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce idea?: Idea is pronounced /aɪ̯ˈdɪə̯/ (UK).
What is the plural of idea?: The plural of idea is ideas.

Words near idea in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: idea (page history and authors); IDEA (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-idea.ogg.

Cite this entry: “idea.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/idea. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.