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
The survey of nearly 1,700 youths between the ages of 13 and 24 by the Trevor Project, a national LGBTQ+ youth advocacy group focused on suicide prevention, also found suicide ideation grew from 41% to 47% over the one-year period while suicide attempts decreased from 11% to 7%.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Those steps reflect the culture wars that have further marginalized the LGBTQ+ population, which already had above normal risk for anxiety, stress, depression and suicide ideation.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Study of Gabreski led to an understanding of convergent thinking and divergent thinking, the two pillars of ideation, which can be automated by computers as the basis for generative AI.
—Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
Kimmel is intimately involved in every aspect of the show’s production, from ideation to delivery, the source says, but there are protocols in place during which any number of people could have requested an edit or removal.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ideation
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Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
Those steps reflect the culture wars that have further marginalized the LGBTQ+ population, which already had above normal risk for anxiety, stress, depression and suicide ideation.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Study of Gabreski led to an understanding of convergent thinking and divergent thinking, the two pillars of ideation, which can be automated by computers as the basis for generative AI.
—Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
Kimmel is intimately involved in every aspect of the show’s production, from ideation to delivery, the source says, but there are protocols in place during which any number of people could have requested an edit or removal.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 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 18 Oct. 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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