Added 8 October 2026
idea
/aɪ̯ˈdɪə̯/ noun
In Latin: īnfōrmātiō Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about idea at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- 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. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
- The conception of someone or something as representing a perfect example; an ideal.
- The form or shape of something; a quintessential aspect or characteristic.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)