Etimology
Borrowed from Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “I see”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know; see”). Cognate with French idée. Doublet of idée. Related to idol, idolum, and eidolon.
noun
idea (plural ideas or (philosophy, rare) ideæ)
(philosophy) 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. [from 14th c.]
(obsolete) The conception of someone or something as representing a perfect example; an ideal. [16th–19th c.]
(obsolete) The form or shape of something; a quintessential aspect or characteristic. [16th–18th c.]
An image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory. [from 16th c.]
More generally, any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking. [from 17th c.]
A conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention. [from 17th c.]
A purposeful aim or goal; intent
A vague or fanciful notion; a feeling or hunch; an impression. [from 17th c.]
(music) A musical theme or melodic subject. [from 18th c.]
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 or the replications are . Either way, something is awry.
The remembrance whereof representing me her visage and Idea so lively and so naturally, doth in some sort reconcile me unto her.
The mere idea of you is enough to excite me.
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.
Ideas won't go to jail.
I have an idea of how we might escape.
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 bay and ought to fetch a fair price.
Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms. Those that want to borrow are matched with those that want to lend.
He had the wild idea that if he leant forward a little, he might be able to touch the mountain-top.
Related words
synonyms
(mental transcript, image, or picture): image
related terms
ideal
idealism
idealist
ideality
idealize
ideate
ideatum
ideocracy
ideologue
ideology
in idea