idea

English

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Wikipedia

Etymology

From Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idea, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eidō, “I see”).

Pronunciation

Noun

idea (ideas or rare ideæ)

  1. (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.]
  2. (obsolete) The conception of someone or something as representing a perfect example; an ideal. [16th-19th c.]
  3. (obsolete) The form or shape of something; a quintessential aspect or characteristic. [16th-18th c.]
    • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.6:
      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.
  4. An image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory. [from 16th c.]
    The mere idea of you is enough to excite me.
  5. More generally, any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking. [from 17th c.]
    Ideas won't go to jail.—A. Whitney Griswold (1952)
  6. A conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention. [from 17th c.]
    I have an idea of how we might escape.
  7. A vague or fanciful notion; a feeling or hunch; an impression. [from 17th c.]
    He had the wild idea that if he leant forward a little, he might be able to touch the mountain-top.
  8. (music) A musical theme or melodic subject. [from 18th c.]

Synonyms

  • (mental transcript, image, or picture): image

Descendants

  • Japanese: aidia

Derived terms

terms derived from idea
  • idea monger
  • idea of reference
  • idea pot
  • life-idea
  • memory-idea
  • mother-idea
  • no idea
  • one-idea
  • received idea
  • sense-idea
  • simple idea
  • the very idea

Related terms

Translations

image formed in the mind
thought, notion
fancy, hunch, impression
plan, intention
musical theme
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

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Anagrams

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Catalan

Noun

idea f (plural idees)

  1. idea (all senses)
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Czech

Pronunciation

Noun

idea f

  1. idea (that which exists in the mind as the result of mental activity)

Related terms

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Finnish

Noun

idea

  1. idea

Declension

Declension of idea (type kulkija)
singular plural
nominative idea ideat
genitive idean ideoiden
ideoitten
ideain1
partitive ideaa ideoita
accusative idea
idean		 ideat
inessive ideassa ideoissa
elative ideasta ideoista
illative ideaan ideoihin
adessive idealla ideoilla
ablative idealta ideoilta
allative idealle ideoille
essive ideana ideoina
translative ideaksi ideoiksi
instructive – ideoin
abessive ideatta ideoitta
comitative – ideoineen
1) Rare.   
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Interlingua

Noun

idea (plural ideas)

  1. idea
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Italian

Etymology

Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idea, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eidō, “I see”).

Noun

idea f (plural idee)

  1. idea

Verb

idea

  1. third-person singular present tense of ideare
  2. second-person singular imperative of ideare

Related terms

Anagrams

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Latin

Noun

idea (genitive ideae); f, first declension

  1. idea
  2. prototype (Platonic)

Inflection

Number Singular Plural
nominative idea ideae
genitive ideae ideārum
dative ideae ideīs
accusative ideam ideās
ablative ideā ideīs
vocative idea ideae
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Slovak

Etymology

From Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idea, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eidō, “I see”).

Noun

idea f (genitive singular idey, nominative plural idey), declension pattern idea

  1. idea (that which exists in the mind as the result of mental activity)

Declension

    declension of idea
singular plural
nominative idea idey
genitive idey ideí
dative idei ideám
accusative ideu idey
locative idei ideách
instrumental ideou ideami

Related terms

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Spanish

Etymology

Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idea, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eidō, “I see”). Compare Portuguese ideia.

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /iˈðea/

Noun

idea f (plural ideas)

  1. idea

Verb

idea (infinitive idear)

  1. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of idear.
  2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of idear.
  3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present indicative form of idear.
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Last modified on 19 May 2013, at 17:29