idea

A1 Topic:Mind & Cognition

Also spelled i-de-a

US /aɪˈdi.ə/ UK /aɪ̯ˈdɪə̯/ See IPA manual

Freq #285

Meanings

1

noun
A thought or suggestion about what to do.

I have an idea about how we could escape.
2

noun
An opinion or belief about something.

They have the idea that we don't like them.
3

noun
An understanding or impression of something.

Do you have any idea what time it is?

Thesaurus

Synonyms

image

Word family

Forms ideas

Derived forms counterideaidea'dideaedideafulideagenousideahoodidealessideamongerideascapeideathonlife-ideamemory-idea

Related forms ideal idealism idealist ideality idealizeideateideatumideocracyideologueideology

Appears in

Phrases (7)

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good idea
a sensible or useful suggestion or thought

Adjective + noun
get an idea
to come to have a thought or plan

Verb + noun
have an idea
to possess or think of an idea

Verb + noun
share an idea
to tell others about a thought or proposal

Verb + noun
bright idea
a clever or inventive thought

Adjective + noun
vague idea
an unclear or imprecise notion

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

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Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *weyd-der. Ancient Greek ῐ̓δεῖν (ĭdeîn) Ancient Greek ῐ̓δέᾱ (ĭdéā)der. Latin ideabor. English idea Borrowed from Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “to see”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know; see”). Cognate with French idée. Doublet of idée. Related to idol, idolum, and eidolon.

*weyd- Proto-Indo-European ἰδέα Ancient Greek

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Topics

Mind & Cognition

External links

# idea

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /aɪˈdi.ə/
**IPA (UK):** /aɪ̯ˈdɪə̯/
**Frequency rank:** 285

## Meanings
1. A thought or suggestion about what to do.
2. An opinion or belief about something.
3. An understanding or impression of something.

## Examples
- I have an idea about how we could escape.
- They have the idea that we don't like them.
- Do you have any idea what time it is?

## Synonyms
- image

## Derived Forms
- counteridea
- idea'd
- ideaed
- ideaful
- ideagenous
- ideahood
- idealess
- ideamonger
- ideascape
- ideathon
- life-idea
- memory-idea

## Related Forms
- ideal
- idealism
- idealist
- ideality
- idealize
- ideate
- ideatum
- ideocracy
- ideologue
- ideology

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *weyd-
- Root: ἰδέα

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *weyd-der. Ancient Greek ῐ̓δεῖν (ĭdeîn) Ancient Greek ῐ̓δέᾱ (ĭdéā)der. Latin ideabor. English idea Borrowed from Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “to see”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know; see”). Cognate with French idée. Doublet of idée. Related to idol, idolum, and eidolon.

## AI Etymology
Idea is borrowed from Latin idea (“a (Platonic) idea; archetype”), from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, “notion, pattern”), from εἴδω (eídō, “to see”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know; see”). Cognate with French idée. Doublet of idée. Related to idol, idolum, and eidolon. The historical chain runs through Proto-Indo-European *weyd-, Ancient Greek ῐ̓δεῖν (ĭdeîn), Ancient Greek ῐ̓δέᾱ (ĭdéā), Latin idea, and English idea. In current use, the main senses are “A thought or suggestion about what to do” and “An opinion or belief about something”.

## Topics
- Mind & Cognition

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