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
That model shaped business schools, K–12 ideation, and — ironically — today’s generative AI (random recombination plus statistical convergence).
—Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Agency partners should integrate seamlessly with internal staff and be compatible in everything from communication style and accountability to collaboration and ideation.
—Andrea Aker, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
That some antidepressants in the US have warnings of homicidal ideation, however, is not true, according to experts interviewed for this story.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Lectra empowers design and development teams to move faster and smarter with integrated tools for ideation, pattern making, 2D/3D prototyping and fabric usage optimization.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ideation
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Big Think, 9 Sep. 2025
Agency partners should integrate seamlessly with internal staff and be compatible in everything from communication style and accountability to collaboration and ideation.
—Andrea Aker, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
That some antidepressants in the US have warnings of homicidal ideation, however, is not true, according to experts interviewed for this story.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
Lectra empowers design and development teams to move faster and smarter with integrated tools for ideation, pattern making, 2D/3D prototyping and fabric usage optimization.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 4 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 15 Sep. 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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