(initial capital letter) 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.

Kantianism. idea of pure reason.

Music. a theme, phrase, or figure.

Obsolete.

a likeness.

a mental image.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
1400–50; < Late Latin < Greek idéā form, pattern, equivalent to ide- (stem of ideîn to see) + -ā feminine noun ending; replacing late Middle English idee < Middle French < Late Latin, as above; akin to wit¹

Related forms

i·de·a·less, adjective

pre·i·de·a, noun

sub·i·de·a, noun

Synonyms
1, 2. Idea, thought, conception, notion refer to a product of mental activity. 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. 4. sentiment, judgment.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To Ideas

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Ideas is always a great word to know.

So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

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Example Sentences

Blue-ribbon panel after blue-ribbon panel has advocated some variation of the same set of fiscal policy reform ideas.

Academe is supposed to be a place where the free exchange of ideas can occur.

In an age of disruptive innovation, ideas are currency.

EXPAND

Blue-ribbon panel after blue-ribbon panel has advocated some variation of the same set of fiscal policy reform ideas.

Academe is supposed to be a place where the free exchange of ideas can occur.

In an age of disruptive innovation, ideas are currency.

Revolutions often spring from the simplest of ideas.

We received a lot of great costume ideas but few with photos and fewer yet with instructions on how to build it.

Enthusiasm for the future abounds and investments in new ideas make a whole lot of sense.

Some experts offer their ideas for how to get reform off the ground.

Every week, the best ideas will be featured and the best of the best will win free tickets.

Fun activity ideas for kids and families, from cool science experiments to crazy jokes.

Why not steal ideas from something that's been millions of years in the.

Get landscaping ideas and inspiration from our gardening experts to design your own backyard or garden oasis.

In response to growing concerns over the planet's future, scientists are proposing some radical ideas to combat global warming.

Ideas on spreading safer building practices from an engineer focused on designing with earthquakes in mind.

Those ideas include ranking faculty members by productivity and putting more focus on teaching instead of research.

Get trip ideas for the best places to enjoy the best of what winter offers.

Individuals who do a lot of freeway driving often get good ideas during those periods when they are in theta.

We have a few other new editorial ideas in the works as well.

Get delicious ideas for fresh fries and homemade dipping sauces.

And there is no shortage of ideas for how to do this.

Some ideas that seem clever don't quite work as toys.

The fellowship seeks to help winners develop their ideas more quickly than they would at a traditional university.

We need more of these common sense ideas in this chaotic business world of ours today.

Ideas for greener cooling focus on making better use of the forces of nature.

As the brainstorming ideas are hypothesized as years down the road, the pressure is momentarily off.

The show is not to be missed if you are interested in ingenious ideas transformed into art.

Fill your home with natural light with these intriguing ideas for windows.

Science fiction is the last great literature of ideas.

Aging spans may be troubled, but more recent ones are longer and stronger thanks to new ideas and technologies.

Jotting down questions, thoughts, and ideas that relate to my current research or possible future projects.

Many clever and creative ideas helped slaves during their escape.

New ideas for making sodium sulfur batteries could make them the answer for taming the variability of wind.

And yet few stopped to consider their maker, who at times sketched one or two product ideas an hour at his drafting table.

Click through our gallery to get design ideas for your own.

And they give readers activity ideas that help them absorb and build on the material they're reading and learning about.

Second, university presses specialize in publishing books containing hard ideas.

They have different ideas about why these sharks may have developed this unusual head shape while other sharks did not.

But the advent of new funding and a spate of innovative ideas have changed the outlook dramatically in recent years.

Prisons were built around the noble ideas of rehabilitation.

The winning ideas will help schools reduce waste and save water and energy.

Such evidence that social attachments alter the brain's response to drugs may spur new ideas for addiction treatment.

Even when they are not immediately embraced, even when they are reviled at first, good ideas always find a way.

For those folks who have posted their philosophy somewhere, they will likely pop up, and will give you some ideas.

For example, their parents have different ideas about the world than they and their grandparents.

These revolutionary findings not only change our ideas about babies, they give us a fresh perspective on human nature itself.

Each month, we'll propose a scenario and present some ideas and concepts.

The humans also couldn't produce ideas at the scale of the algorithm.

It's the place where great ideas go to rest until somebody figures out a new way to use them.

Boeing was recently granted patents on a number of ideas that point to a focus on quiet airliners for the future.

Once again we'll be featuring seven weekly guides chock full of geeky present ideas.

And, one of my chief places for inspiration, ideas and great discussion is the email list.

It is a story of how ideas changed about the nature of the atom.

COLLAPSE

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

idea

1430, "figure, image, symbol," from L. idea "idea," and in Platonic philosophy "archetype," from Gk. idea "ideal prototype," lit. "look, form," from idein "to see," from PIE *wid-es-ya-, suffixed form of base *weid- "to see" (see vision). Sense of "result of thinking" first recorded 1645.

EXPAND

"Men of one idea, like a hen with one chicken, and that a duckling." [Thoreau, "Walden"] COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

idea i·de·a (ī-dē'ə)
n.
Something, such as a thought or conception, that potentially or actually exists in the mind as a product of mental activity.

American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

IDEAS
Information on DisabilityâEquipment Access Service

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Matching Quote

"No idea is isolated, but is only what it is among all ideas."

-Friedrich Von Schlegel

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