idea

English Online Dictionary. What means idea‎? What does idea mean?

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /aɪ̯ˈdɪə̯/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /aɪ̯ˈdi.ə/
  • (US, Appalachia, r-epenthesis) IPA^(key): /aːˈdɪɹ/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /aɪ̯ˈdiə̯/, [ɑe̯ˈdiə̯], [-ˈdeə̯]
• (Southern US, obsolete) IPA^(key): /aɪˈdiː/, /ˈaɪdi/
• Rhymes: -ɪə, -iːə
• Hyphenation: i‧dea, i‧de‧a

Noun

idea (plural ideas or (philosophy, 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.]
4. An image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory. [from 16th c.]

5. More generally, any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking. [from 17th c.]
6. A conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention. [from 17th c.]

7. A purposeful aim or goal; intent
8. A vague or fanciful notion; a feeling or hunch; an impression. [from 17th c.]

9. (music) A musical theme or melodic subject. [from 18th c.]

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

Related terms

Collocations

Descendants

• → Japanese: アイディア (aidia), アイデア (aidea)

Translations

References

Further reading

• “idea”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “idea”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “idea”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “idea”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “idea”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
• “idea”, in Collins English Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Adie, aide, daie

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “I see”).

Noun

idea f (plural idees)

1. idea

Related terms

• ideal

Catalan

Alternative forms

• ideia (dialectal, proscribed)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [iˈðe.ə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [iˈðɛ.ə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [iˈðe.a]

Noun

idea f (plural idees)

1. An idea, a mental representation of a real or imaginary thing

   La idea de justícia. ― The idea of justice.

2. An elementary or general notion of something

   No en tenia la més petita idea. ― I/She/He didn't have the slightest idea.

3. A concept to be realized, plan of action, purpose, intention

   M’agrada, la idea'! ― I like the idea!

4. The fundamental, substantial part of a doctrine, a reasoning, etc

   La idea cristiana. ― The Christian idea.

Usage notes

• Often pronounced as ideia.

Related terms

• ideal
• idear
• ideari

Further reading

• “idea” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “idea”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “idea” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “idea” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Chinese

Etymology

From English idea.

Pronunciation

Noun

idea

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) idea; plan

References

• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa), from εἴδω (eídō).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɪdɛa]

Noun

idea f

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

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• “idea”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “idea”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “idea”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈideɑ/, [ˈide̞ɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ideɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): idea

Noun

idea

1. idea

   Synonyms: ajatus, oivallus

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• “idea”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Galician

Alternative forms

• ideia (reintegrationist)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “I see”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iˈdɛa/ [iˈð̞ɛ.ɐ]
• Rhymes: -ɛa
• Hyphenation: i‧de‧a

Noun

idea f (plural ideas)

1. idea

Related terms

• ideal

Further reading

• “idea”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024

Hungarian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈidɛɒ]
• Hyphenation: idea
• Rhymes: -ɒ

Noun

idea (plural ideák)

1. (philosophy or formal) idea

   Synonyms: eszme, ötlet, gondolat

Declension

References

Further reading

• idea in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Interlingua

Noun

idea (plural ideas)

1. idea

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iˈdɛ.a/
• Rhymes: -ɛa
• Hyphenation: i‧dè‧a

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “I see”).

Noun

idea f (plural idee)

1. idea

   buon'idea ― good idea

Related terms

• ideale
• ideare
• ideazione
• ideo-

Etymology 2

Verb

idea

1. inflection of ideare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• idea in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• aedi

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈi.de.a/, [ˈɪd̪eä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈi.de.a/, [ˈiːd̪eä]

Noun

idea f (genitive ideae); first declension

1. idea
2. prototype (Platonic)

Declension

First-declension noun.

Descendants

References

• “idea”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• idea in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from English idea, from Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “I see”).

Noun

idea (Jawi spelling ايديا, plural idea-idea, informal 1st possessive ideaku, 2nd possessive ideamu, 3rd possessive ideanya)

1. idea

Alternative forms

• ide (Indonesia, Timor-Leste)

Maltese

Alternative forms

• ideja, idija

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian idea.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈdɛː.a/, /ɪˈdɛː.ja/
• Homophone: idejha (one pronunciation)
• Rhymes: -a

Noun

idea f (plural ideat)

1. idea; thought; opinion

Related terms

Northern Sami

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Kautokeino) IPA^(key): /ˈitea̯/

Noun

idea

1. idea

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[2], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin idea.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iˈdɛ.a/
• Rhymes: -ɛa
• Syllabification: i‧de‧a

Noun

idea f (diminutive idejka)

1. idea (image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory)

   Synonym: pomysł

2. (philosophy) idea (abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect)
3. keynote, mission statement

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

• idea in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• idea in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian ideare.

Verb

a idea (third-person singular present ideează, past participle ideat) 1st conjugation

1. to invent, to conceive

Conjugation

Slovak

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈidea]

Noun

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

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

Declension

Related terms

• ideológ m
• ideologický m
• ideológia f
• ideový m
• ideál m
• idealista m
• idealistický m
• idealizácia f
• idealizmus m

Further reading

• “idea”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iˈdea/ [iˈð̞e.a]
• Rhymes: -ea
• Syllabification: i‧de‧a

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “to see”). Compare Portuguese ideia.

Alternative forms

• idéa (superseded)

Noun

idea f (plural ideas)

1. idea

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

idea

1. inflection of idear:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “idea”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Tagalog

Alternative forms

• ideya

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish idea, from Latin idea, from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔideˈa/ [ʔɪ.d̪ɛˈa], /ʔiˈdea/ [ʔɪˈd̪ɛː.ɐ]
• Rhymes: -a, -ea
• Syllabification: i‧de‧a

Noun

ideá or idea (Baybayin spelling ᜁᜇᜒᜌ)

1. idea; opinion

   Synonyms: palagay, opinyon, kuro-kuro

2. plan; intention

   Synonyms: balak, layon, hangad

Derived terms

Related terms

• ideal
• idealismo
• idealista