ideation

noun ide·a·tion \ ˌī-dē-ˈā-shən \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 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

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
DeLand said known side effects from the drug include homicidal and suicidal ideation and psychosis.

— heather nolan, NOLA.com, "Woman sentenced to probation for brandishing bat, gun at Mid-City Yacht Club customers," 31 May 2018
And suicide can be spontaneous, with months or years of ideation culminating in a decision acted upon within minutes, experts said.

— jason laughlin, Philly.com, "Uber driver who killed herself battled depression, her insurance carrier," 8 May 2018
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Janine's suicidal ideation, the handmaids refused to stone her.

— claire dodson, Teen Vogue, "The First Episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale” Season Two Just Dropped and Things Still Look Bleak," 25 Apr. 2018
The reason for Zaharie’s supposed suicidal ideation?

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Investigators insist MH370 crash was an accident, not a mass murder-suicide by pilot," 22 May 2018
AthenaHealth and researchers on the doctor visits study acknowledge the increase for suicidal ideation visits could actually show that more teens are seeking help after viewing the show, which is a positive development.

— jayne o'donnell, USA TODAY, "New season of '13 Reasons Why' still targeted by doctors who say it glamorizes teen suicide," 18 May 2018
The database showed that more than 115,800 suicide attempts or ideations occurred during the seven-year study period.

— jamie ducharme, Time, "More Kids Are Attempting and Thinking About Suicide, According to a New Study," 16 May 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