idea

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i·de·a

(ī-dē′ə)

1. Something, such as a thought or conception, that is the product of mental activity.

2. An opinion, conviction, or principle: has some strange political ideas.

3. A plan, purpose, or goal: She started school with the idea of becoming a doctor.

4. The gist or significance: The idea of the article is that investing in green technology can save you money in the long run.

5. A sense that something can happen; a notion or expectation: They have this idea that we can just drop what we're doing and go to the park.

6. Music A theme or motif.

7. Philosophy

a. In the philosophy of Plato, a non-physical form or archetype to which beings in phenomenal reality correspond only as imperfect replicas.

b. In the philosophy of Kant, a concept of reason that is transcendent but nonempirical.

c. In the philosophy of Hegel, absolute truth; the complete and ultimate product of reason.

8. Obsolete A mental image of something remembered.

[Middle English, from Latin, from Greek; see weid- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

i·de′a·less adj.

Synonyms: idea, thought, notion, concept, conception
These nouns refer to what is formed or represented in the mind as the product of mental activity. Idea has the widest range: "Human history is in essence a history of ideas" (H.G. Wells).
Thought is distinctively intellectual and stresses contemplation and reasoning: She gathered her thoughts before she spoke. Notion suggests an often intuitive idea or image conceived by the mind: "All that came to mind was a notion of galactic space, of spirals, the Horse Nebula, all of which were distant and mysterious and cold" (Craig Nova).
Concept and conception are applied to mental formulations on a broad scale: You seem to have absolutely no concept of time. "Every succeeding scientific discovery makes greater nonsense of old-time conceptions of sovereignty" (Anthony Eden).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

idea

(aɪˈdɪə)

1. any content of the mind, esp the conscious mind

2. the thought of something: the very idea appals me.

3. a mental representation of something: she's got a good idea of the layout of the factory.

4. the characterization of something in general terms; concept: the idea of a square circle is self-contradictory.

5. an individual's conception of something: his idea of honesty is not the same as yours and mine.

6. the belief that something is the case: he has the idea that what he's doing is right.

7. a scheme, intention, plan, etc: here's my idea for the sales campaign.

8. a vague notion or indication; inkling: he had no idea of what life would be like in Africa.

9. significance or purpose: the idea of the game is to discover the murderer.

10. (Philosophy) philosophy

a. a private mental object, regarded as the immediate object of thought or perception

b. a Platonic Idea or Form

11. (Classical Music) music a thematic phrase or figure; motif

12. obsolete a mental image

13. get ideas to become ambitious, restless, etc

14. not one's idea of not what one regards as (hard work, a holiday, etc)

15. that's an idea that is worth considering

16. the very idea! that is preposterous, unreasonable, etc

[C16: via Late Latin from Greek: model, pattern, notion, from idein to see]

iˈdealess adj

Usage: It is usually considered correct to say that someone has the idea of doing something, rather than the idea to do it: he had the idea of taking (not the idea to take) a short holiday

Idea

(aɪˈdɪə)

(Philosophy) another name for Form

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

i•de•a

(aɪˈdi ə, aɪˈdi^ə)

n.

1. any conception existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness, or activity.

2. a thought, conception, or notion.

3. an impression: Give me a general idea of what happened.

4. an opinion, view, or belief.

5. a plan of action; intention: with the idea of becoming an engineer.

6. a purpose or guiding principle: What was the idea of that?

7. a groundless supposition; fantasy.

8. Philos.

a. a concept developed by the mind.

b. a conception of what is desirable or ought to be; ideal.

c. (cap.) Platonism. Also called form. an archetype or pattern of which the individual objects in any natural class are imperfect copies and from which they derive their being.

9. a musical theme or figure.

10. Obs.

a. a likeness.

b. a mental image.

[1400–50; late Middle English idee < Middle French < Late Latin < Greek idéā form, kind, sort]

i•de′a•less, adj.

syn: idea, thought, conception, notion refer to a product of mental activity. idea refers to a mental representation that is the product of creative imagination: She had an excellent idea for the party. thought emphasizes the intellectual processes of reasoning, contemplating, reflecting, or recollecting: I welcomed his thoughts on the subject. conception suggests imaginative, creative, and somewhat intricate mental activity: The architect's conception of the building was a glass skyscraper. notion suggests a fleeting, vague, or imperfect thought: I had only a bare notion of how to proceed.

pron: See police.

idea

An object in the mind. For Plato, the metaphysical pattern of which real objects are pale reflections.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	idea - the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about; "it was not a good idea"; "the thought never entered my mind" thought cognitive content, mental object, content - the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned inspiration - arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity cogitation - a carefully considered thought about something; "his cogitations were dutifully recorded in his daybook" concept, conception, construct - an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances preoccupation - an idea that preoccupies the mind and holds the attention misconception - an incorrect conception plan, program, programme - a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished; "they drew up a six-step plan"; "they discussed plans for a new bond issue" figment - a contrived or fantastic idea; "a figment of the imagination" generalisation, generality, generalization - an idea or conclusion having general application; "he spoke in broad generalities" suggestion - an idea that is suggested; "the picnic was her suggestion" impression, notion, belief, feeling, opinion - a vague idea in which some confidence is placed; "his impression of her was favorable"; "what are your feelings about the crisis?"; "it strengthened my belief in his sincerity"; "I had a feeling that she was lying" reaction - an idea evoked by some experience; "his reaction to the news was to start planning what to do" theorem - an idea accepted as a demonstrable truth whimsey, whimsy, whim, notion - an odd or fanciful or capricious idea; "the theatrical notion of disguise is associated with disaster in his stories"; "he had a whimsy about flying to the moon"; "whimsy can be humorous to someone with time to enjoy it" meaning, substance - the idea that is intended; "What is the meaning of this proverb?" burden - the central idea that is expanded in a document or discourse theme, motif - a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work; "it was the usual `boy gets girl' theme" ideal - the idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain idealisation, idealization - something that exists only as an idea keynote - a fundamental or central idea kink - an eccentric idea
	2.	idea - your intention; what you intend to do; "he had in mind to see his old teacher"; "the idea of the game is to capture all the pieces" mind aim, intent, intention, purpose, design - an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions; "his intent was to provide a new translation"; "good intentions are not enough"; "it was created with the conscious aim of answering immediate needs"; "he made no secret of his designs"
	3.	idea - a personal view; "he has an idea that we don't like him" opinion, persuasion, sentiment, thought, view - a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty; "my opinion differs from yours"; "I am not of your persuasion"; "what are your thoughts on Haiti?"
	4.	idea - an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth; "an estimate of what it would cost"; "a rough idea how long it would take" approximation, estimate, estimation scalage - estimation of the amount of lumber in a log figuring, reckoning, calculation, computation - problem solving that involves numbers or quantities credit rating, credit - an estimate, based on previous dealings, of a person's or an organization's ability to fulfill their financial commitments dead reckoning, guessing, guesswork, guess, shot - an estimate based on little or no information guesstimate, guestimate - an estimate that combines reasoning with guessing overrating, overreckoning, overestimate, overestimation - a calculation that results in an estimate that is too high underestimate, underestimation, underrating, underreckoning - an estimation that is too low; an estimate that is less than the true or actual value
	5.	idea - (music) melodic subject of a musical composition; "the theme is announced in the first measures"; "the accompanist picked up the idea and elaborated it" melodic theme, musical theme, theme music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner melodic line, melodic phrase, melody, tune, strain, air, line - a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven" motif, motive - a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music statement - (music) the presentation of a musical theme; "the initial statement of the sonata" variation - a repetition of a musical theme in which it is modified or embellished

idea

noun

1. plan, scheme, proposal, design, theory, strategy, method, solution, suggestion, recommendation, proposition It's a good idea to keep a stock of tins in the cupboard.

2. notion, thought, view, understanding, teaching, opinion, belief, conclusion, hypothesis, impression, conviction, judgment, interpretation, sentiment, doctrine, conception, viewpoint Some of his ideas about democracy are entirely his own.

3. impression, estimate, guess, hint, notion, clue, conjecture, surmise, inkling, approximation, intimation, ballpark figure This graph will give you some idea of levels of ability.

4. understanding, thought, view, sense, opinion, concept, impression, judgment, perception, conception, abstraction, estimation By the end of the week you will have a clearer idea of the system.

5. suspicion, guess, impression, notion, hunch, conjecture, gut feeling (informal), supposition I had an idea that he joined the army later.

6. intention, aim, purpose, object, end, plan, reason, goal, design, objective, motive The idea is to help lower-income families to buy their homes.

Related words
fear ideophobia

Quotations
"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you have only one idea" [Alain Propos sur la religion]
"A stand can be made against invasion by an army; no stand can be made against invasion by an idea" [Victor Hugo Histoire d'une Crime]
"It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life" [Randall Jarrell Pictures from an Institution]
"Right now it's only a notion, but I think I can get the money to make it into a concept, and later turn it into an idea" [Woody Allen Annie Hall]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

idea

noun

1. That which exists in the mind as the product of careful mental activity:

concept, conception, image, notion, perception, thought.

2. Something believed or accepted as true by a person:

belief, conviction, feeling, mind, notion, opinion, persuasion, position, sentiment, view.

3. Intuitive cognition:

feeling, hunch, impression, intuition, suspicion.

4. A method for making, doing, or accomplishing something:

blueprint, design, game plan, layout, plan, project, schema, scheme, strategy.

5. The gist of a specific action or situation:

import, meaning, point, purport, significance, significancy.

Translations

خِطَّهصورَهفكرةفِكْرَةٌفِكْرَه

nápadplánpředstava

idéplan

Idee Vorstellung Ahnung Auffassung Begriff

ιδέα

idea impresión juicio concepto

aimdusarvamusmõte

ajatusidea

idée

ideja

ötlet

hugmyndhugmynd, áætlun

idea non avere idea nozione pensiero

考えちゃくそう主意

생각

mintis

domaidejanodomsplānspriekšstats

bănuialăideepărere

идея мысль понятие представление

idejamnenjezamisel

idétanke

ความคิด

fikir görüş öneri düşünce

ý kiến

主意思想想法意见概念

idea

[aɪˈdɪə] N

1. (= thought, plan) → idea f
it wasn't my idea → no fue idea mía
that's the idea → así es
the idea is to sell it → la idea or el plan es venderlo
let's forget the whole idea → olvidémonos de todo el asunto
I can't bear the idea (of it) → sólo de pensarlo me pongo mala
it wouldn't be a bad idea to paint it → no le vendría mal pintarlo
it might not be a bad idea to wait a few days → puede que no sea mala idea esperar unos cuantos días
whose bright idea was it to come this way? (iro) → ¿quién ha tenido la bonita or feliz idea de venir por aquí?
you'll have to buck up your ideas → tendrás que menearte
the idea never entered my head → ni se me pasó esa idea por la cabeza
to get an idea for a novel → encontrar una idea para una novela
don't go getting ideas (= build up one's hopes) → no te hagas ilusiones; (= be presumptuous) → no se te ocurra
he got the idea into his head that they didn't like him → se le metió en la cabeza (la idea de) que no les caía bien
once she gets an idea into her head there's no stopping her → como se le meta una idea en la cabeza no hay quien se la quite
to get used to the idea of sth → hacerse a la idea de algo
to give sb ideas → meter ideas en la cabeza a algn
whatever gave you that idea? → ¿como se te ha ocurrido semejante cosa?
good idea! → ¡buena idea!
what a good idea! → ¡qué idea más buena!
to have an idea → tener una idea
I suddenly had the idea of going to see her → de repente se me ocurrió ir a verla → de repente tuve la idea de ir a verla
he hit on the idea of painting it red → se le ocurrió pintarlo de rojo
to put ideas into sb's head → meter ideas en la cabeza a algn
the very idea!, what an idea! → ¡qué ocurrencias!

2. (= understanding) → idea f
have you any idea how ridiculous you look? → ¿tienes idea de lo ridículo que estás?
I haven't the foggiest idea → no tengo ni la menor or más remota or más mínima idea
what(ever) gave you that idea? → ¿de dónde sacaste eso?
to get an idea of sth → hacerse una idea de algo
you're getting the idea (= understanding) → estás empezando a comprender; (= getting the knack) → estás cogiendo el tino or truco
I've got the general idea → he comprendido la idea general
where did you get that idea? → ¿de dónde sacaste eso?
don't get the wrong idea → no malinterpretes la situación
many people have got the wrong idea about him → mucha gente tiene un concepto equivocado de él
I haven't the least idea → no tengo ni la menor or más remota or más mínima idea
I've no idea! → ¡ni idea!
it was awful, you've no idea → no te puedes hacer una idea de lo horrible que fue
I had no idea that → no tenía ni idea or la menor idea de que ...
I haven't the slightest idea → no tengo ni la menor or más remota or más mínima idea
he has some idea of French → tiene algo de idea de francés

3. (= conception, notion) → idea f
there may be some truth in the idea that → puede que haya algo de cierto en la idea de que ...
she has some odd ideas about how to bring up children → tiene unas ideas muy raras or una opinión muy rara de cómo criar a los niños
it wasn't my idea of a holiday → no era la idea que yo tengo de unas vacaciones
if that's your idea of fun → si eso es lo que tú entiendes por diversión

4. (= vague idea) → impresión f
to have an idea that → tener la impresión de que ...
I have an idea that she was going to Paris → tengo la impresión de que se iba a París

5. (= purpose) → intención f, idea f
the whole idea of this trip was to relax → la única intención or idea del viaje era relajarse
we went with the idea of meeting new people → fuimos con la intención or idea de conocer a gente nueva
what's the big idea? → ¿a qué viene eso?

6. (= estimate) → idea f
can you give me a rough idea of how many you want? → ¿puede darme una idea aproximada de cuántos quiere?

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

idea

[aɪˈdɪə] n

(= notion) → idée f
good idea! → bonne idée!
what a good idea! → quelle bonne idée!
it's a good idea to ... → c'est une bonne idée de ...
an idea about sth → une idée sur qch
People had some odd ideas about us → Les gens avaient de drôles d'idées sur nous.
that's not my idea of fun → ce n'est pas ce que j'appelle m'amuser
my idea of perfection → mon idée de la perfection
the idea of doing sth → l'idée de faire qch
I really like the idea of helping people → L'idée d'aider les gens me tient vraiment à cœur.
the idea that ... → l'idée que ..., l'idée selon laquelle ...
to have an idea that ... → avoir idée que ...

(= understanding) to have a good idea of sth → avoir une bonne idée de qch
He has a very good idea of how it functions → Il a une très bonne idée de la manière dont ça fonctionne.
to have a clear idea of sth → avoir une idée plus claire de qch
By the end of the week you will have a clear idea of what changes you should make to your diet → À la fin de la semaine, vous aurez une idée plus claire des changements que vous devrez apporter à votre régime.
once you get the idea (= understand) → une fois qu'on a pris le coup
It isn't too difficult once you get the idea → Ce n'est pas trop difficile une fois qu'on a pris le coup.

(= rough indication) → idée f
to give sb an idea of sth → donner à qn une idée de qch

(= knowledge)
Have you any idea how much it would cost? → Tu as une idée de combien ça coûterait?
I haven't the slightest idea, I haven't the faintest idea → je n'en ai pas la moindre idée
We haven't the faintest idea where he is → Nous n'avons pas la moindre idée d'où il se trouve.

(= aim) the idea is to ... → l'idée serait de ...
The idea is to try and avoid further expense → L'idée serait d'essayer d'éviter d'autres dépenses.
you've no idea! → tu n'as pas idée!

idea

→ Idee f (also Philos); (esp sudden) → Einfall m; good idea! → gute Idee!; that’s not a bad idea → das ist keine schlechte Idee; what an idea! → so eine or was für eine Idee!; who thought of that idea? → wer hat sich (dat) → denn das einfallen lassen?; whose bright idea was that? (iro) → wer hat denn diese glänzende Idee gehabt?; he’s our new ideas man (inf) → er ist hier der Mann mit den neuen Ideen; history of ideas → Geistesgeschichte f; man of ideas → Denker m; the very idea! → (nein,) so was!; the very idea of eating horse meat revolts me → der bloße Gedanke an Pferdefleisch ekelt mich; the idea never entered my head! → auf den Gedanken bin ich überhaupt nicht gekommen; he is full of (bright) ideas → ihm fehlt es nie an (guten) Ideen; to hit upon the idea of doing something → den plötzlichen Einfall haben, etw zu tun; that gives me an idea, we could … → da fällt mir ein, wir könnten …; he got the idea for his novel while he was having a bath → die Idee zu seinem Roman kam ihm in der Badewanne; to lack ideas → fantasielos or phantasielos or einfallslos sein; somehow he’s got the idea into his head that … → er bildet sich (dat) → irgendwie ein, dass …; where did you get the idea that I was ill? → wie kommst du auf den Gedanken, dass ich krank war?; don’t get ideas or don’t you go getting ideas about promotion → machen Sie sich (dat) → nur keine falschen Hoffnungen auf eine Beförderung; don’t get or go getting any ideas about that fur coat → bilde dir nur nicht ein, du würdest den Pelzmantel bekommen; to put ideas into somebody’s head → jdm einen Floh ins Ohr setzen, jdn auf dumme Gedanken bringen

(= purpose) the idea was to meet at 6 → wir wollten uns um 6 treffen; what’s the idea of keeping him waiting? → was soll denn das, ihn warten zu lassen?; what’s the big idea? (inf) → was soll das denn?; the idea is to reduce expenditure → es geht darum, die Ausgaben zu senken; he sat down with the idea of writing a letter → er setzte sich mit der Absicht, einen Brief zu schreiben; that’s the idea → so ist es richtig, genau (das ists)!; you’re getting the idea → Sie verstehen langsam, worum es geht

(= opinion) → Meinung f, → Ansicht f; (= conception) → Vorstellung f; if that’s your idea of fun → wenn Sie das lustig finden, wenn das Ihre Vorstellung von Spaß ist; this isn’t my idea of a holiday → so stelle ich mir den Urlaub nicht vor; he has some very strange ideas → er hat manchmal merkwürdige Vorstellungen; according to his idea → seiner Meinung or Ansicht nach; he has no idea of right and wrong → er kann zwischen Gut und Böse nicht unterscheiden; his idea of a pleasant evening is … → seine Vorstellung von einem angenehmen Abend ist …

(= knowledge) → Ahnung f; you’ve no idea how worried I’ve been → du kannst dir nicht vorstellen, welche Sorgen ich mir gemacht habe; (I’ve) no idea → (ich habe) keine Ahnung; I’ve got some idea (of) what this is all about → ich weiß so ungefähr, worum es hier geht; I haven’t the least or slightest or faintest idea → ich habe nicht die leiseste or geringste Ahnung; I have an idea that … → ich habe so das Gefühl, dass …; I had no idea that … → ich hatte ja keine Ahnung, dass …; just to give me an idea of how long it will take → damit ich so ungefähr weiß, wie lange es dauert; could you give me an idea of how long …? → könnten Sie mir ungefähr sagen, wie lange …?; to give you an idea of how difficult it is → um Ihnen eine Vorstellung davon zu vermitteln, wie schwierig es ist

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

idea

[aɪˈdɪə] n → idea
good idea! → buon'idea!
that was a brilliant idea → è stata un'idea splendida
she had no idea of the answer → non aveva idea della risposta
to have an idea that ... → aver l'impressione che...
I haven't the least or slightest or foggiest idea → non ne ho la minima or la più pallida idea
it wouldn't be a bad idea to paint it → non sarebbe una cattiva idea verniciarlo
to put ideas into sb's head → mettere delle idee in testa a qn
it wasn't my idea → non è stata un'idea mia, non sono io che ho avuto l'idea
if that's your idea of a joke ... → se credi di essere spiritoso...
I've got the general idea → mi sono fatto un'idea
that's the idea → ecco, proprio così
what's the big idea? (fam) → cosa credi di fare?
the idea is to sell it → si tratta di venderlo

idea

(aiˈdiə) noun

1. opinion; belief. I have an idea that it won't work.

2. a plan. I've an idea for solving this problem.

3. mental picture. This will give you an idea of what I mean.

idea

→ فِكْرَةٌ nápad idé Idee ιδέα idea ajatus idée ideja idea 考え 생각 idee idé idea ideia идея idé ความคิด fikir ý kiến 想法

i·de·a

n. idea, concepto;

fixed ___ → ___ fija.

idea

n idea; ideas of reference (psych) ideas de referencia

References in classic literature ?

Plato uses them, though he also criticises them; he acknowledges that both he and others are always talking about them, especially about the Idea of Good; and that they are not peculiar to himself (Phaedo; Republic; Soph.).

View in context

Berkeley and Hume made a vigorous onslaught on "abstract ideas." They meant by an idea approximately what we should call an image.

View in context

But this could not be the case with-the idea of a nature more perfect than myself; for to receive it from nothing was a thing manifestly impossible; and, because it is not less repugnant that the more perfect should be an effect of, and dependence on the less perfect, than that something should proceed from nothing, it was equally impossible that I could hold it from myself: accordingly, it but remained that it had been placed in me by a nature which was in reality more perfect than mine, and which even possessed within itself all the perfections of which I could form any idea; that is to say, in a single word, which was God.

View in context

God willed that a strange, bold, and ingenious idea should enter into the mind of a certain man, whilst a devoted and courageous idea took possession of the mind of another man.

View in context

And the idea of the State is supplemented by the revelation of a future life.

View in context

Peasants having no clear idea of the cause of rain, say, according to whether they want rain or fine weather: "The wind has blown the clouds away," or, "The wind has brought up the clouds." And in the same way the universal historians sometimes, when it pleases them and fits in with their theory, say that power is the result of events, and sometimes, when they want to prove something else, say that power produces events.

View in context

As I lay in bed this morning between sleeping and waking, an idea came riding on a sunbeam into my room,--a mad, whimsical idea, but one that suits my mood; and put briefly, it is this: how is it that I, a not unpresentable young man, a man not without accomplishments or experience, should have gone all these years without finding that

View in context

My earrings supplied me with the idea of which I was in search.

View in context

Just as it was tremblingly imperative that Jerry must suddenly squat down, point his nose at the zenith, and vocalize his heart-rending woe, an idea came to him.

View in context

Absorbed in an idea he closed the door and, lighting a lamp, spread the handful of weeds and grasses upon the floor.

View in context

I have no idea how long Lop-Ear and I wandered in the land north of the river.

View in context

For some time I was lost in conjecture as to the cause of this, but yesterday an idea struck me, and if it is well founded, I conjure you to avow it.