ideation

noun ide·a·tion \ ˌī-dē-ˈā-shən \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Examples: ideation in a Sentence

Definition of ideation

: the capacity for or the act of forming or entertaining ideas

suicidal ideation

Examples of ideation in a Sentence

caregivers are trained to watch for signs of depression and suicidal ideation—some patients are likely to put their fantasies to action

Recent Examples of ideation from the Web

The most worrisome of all to Orloff are apps offering help for people experiencing suicide ideation or seeking anxiety release hypnosis.

— ken alltucker, alex connor and jayne o'donnell, USA TODAY, "Mobile therapy apps: With suicide rates on the rise, can text chats rescue those on the edge?," 15 June 2018
The number of teens hospitalized for suicide ideation or suicide attempts nearly doubled between 2008 and 2015, with the highest increase seen in adolescent girls, a study found.

— alexandria hein, Fox News, "Suicide attempts increasing among American high school kids, study finds," 16 May 2018
There are still times when the depression hammers down and months vanish out from under me, when the suicidal ideation returns.

— keith gessen, The New Yorker, "The Silence: The Legacy of Childhood Trauma," 10 Apr. 2018
In a new interview with Variety, the actor opened up with his past experiences with suicidal ideation.

— brittney mcnamara, Teen Vogue, "Justin Prentice Opened Up About Having Suicidal Ideation When He Was Young," 19 June 2018
The suicidal ideation figures are especially troubling and add to a series of concerning reports about young Americans’ mental health.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "The CDC Says U.S. Teens Are Having Less Sex, Doing Fewer Drugs—But Feeling More Depressed," 15 June 2018
The percentage was even higher for people in the suicidal ideation forums: about 1.8%.

— elizabeth bernstein, WSJ, "The Words That Can Signal You’re Depressed," 11 June 2018
Yes, Virginia, wives and mothers can convey a full range of human ideation.

— eugenia williamson, BostonGlobe.com, "Tales of women, yet important," 7 June 2018
Lewinsky proceeded to receive unending harassment from government officials and the public alike for decades and had suicidal ideations.

— refinery29.com, "After His Comments On #MeToo, 2018 Should Be The Year We Cancel Bill Clinton," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ideation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ideation

1818

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

ideation Synonyms

Financial Definition of IDEATION

ideation

noun

What It Is

Ideation is the act of forming ideas.

How It Works

For example, let's say Company XYZ makes widgets, and it wants to get into the children's widget market. Its product development team starts brainstorming ideas for specs, features and production methods.

This ideation process includes listing possible product features, designing prototypes, manufacturing prototypes, doing market research, and going back to square one with various iterations until something marketable and profitable emerges.

In a purely marketing context, ideation might involve creating an image board or concept for advertising.

Why It Matters

Ideation is what many business people spend a significant time doing. Without creativity, experimentation and dreaming, businesses would be far less innovative and thus far less profitable.

Source: Investing Answers