ideation
noun
ide·a·tion
ˌī-dē-ˈā-shən 
: the capacity for or the act of forming or entertaining ideas
Local coaches and mentors guide student teams through the process of ideation, market research, and business plan development …—
Maryann Mills
Maryann Mills… the new space offers a smorgasbord of work environments—cozy two-chair-and-a-screen setups for small Zoom gatherings, … and floor-to-ceiling whiteboards in some places for spontaneous ideation …—Chase DiFeliciantonio
see also suicidal ideation
Chase DiFeliciantonioExamples of ideation in a Sentence
a product designer who went from ideation to creation quickly
Recent Examples on the Web
Invest in helping your employees build the storytelling, ideation, and articulation skills needed to create real thought leadership.
—Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The Study on Screen Addiction and Mental Health Researchers in the new JAMA study looked at more than 4,200 U.S. adolescents, with an average age of 10, to look for a link between addictive screen use and suicidal behavior or ideation, and other mental health concerns.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 25 June 2025
Advertisement The brain-only group, conversely, showed the highest neural connectivity, especially in alpha, theta and delta bands, which are associated with creativity ideation, memory load, and semantic processing.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 17 June 2025
This rapid ideation jump-starts your creative process, letting SMBs test multiple angles without agencies.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
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Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The Study on Screen Addiction and Mental Health Researchers in the new JAMA study looked at more than 4,200 U.S. adolescents, with an average age of 10, to look for a link between addictive screen use and suicidal behavior or ideation, and other mental health concerns.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 25 June 2025
Advertisement The brain-only group, conversely, showed the highest neural connectivity, especially in alpha, theta and delta bands, which are associated with creativity ideation, memory load, and semantic processing.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 17 June 2025
This rapid ideation jump-starts your creative process, letting SMBs test multiple angles without agencies.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ideation
Cite this Entry
“Ideation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideation. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
ideation
noun
ide·a·tion
ˌīd-ē-ˈā-shən
: the capacity for or the act of forming or entertaining ideas
The spectrum of paranoid ideation goes from mild distrust and suspiciousness to full-blown persecutory delusions.—R. Bianchi and L. Janin, Occupational Medicine
R. Bianchi and L. Janin, Occupational MedicineThe cognitive ability to generate many creative ideas, or creative ideation, is one facet of creativity.—Tammy C. Pannells and Amy F. Claxton, Creativity Research Journal
see also suicidal ideation
Tammy C. Pannells and Amy F. Claxton, Creativity Research JournalLove words? Need even more definitions?
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