aɪˈdɪə n. 1 a
conception or
plan formed by
mental effort (have
you any ideas?;
had the idea of
writing a book). 2 a a mental
impression or
notion; a
concept. b a
vague belief or
fancy (had an idea you
were married; had no idea
where you were). 3 an
intention,
purpose, or
essential feature (the idea is to
make money). 4 an
archetype or
pattern as
distinguished from its realization in
individual cases. 5 Philos. a (in Platonism) an eternally existing pattern of
which individual things in any
class are
imperfect copies. b a concept of
pure reason which transcends
experience. øget (or have) ideas colloq. be
ambitious,
rebellious, etc.
have no idea colloq. 1
not know at
all. 2 be completely
incompetent. not one's idea of colloq. not
what one regards as (not my idea of a
pleasant evening). put ideas
into a person's
head suggest ambitions etc. he or
she would not
otherwise have had. that's an idea colloq.
that proposal etc. is
worth considering. the
very idea! colloq. an
exclamation of disapproval or disagreement. øøidea'd adj. ideaed adj. idealess adj. [Gk idea
form, pattern f. stem idsee]
