the idea
noun
: the central meaning or purpose of something : goal or intention
The whole idea of the game is to keep from getting caught.
The idea is to get people to attend.
Examples of the idea in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eternal recurrence is the idea that, because time is endless, everything will eventually repeat itself, and therefore, your life will repeat an infinite number of times, exactly the same way each time.
—
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
Proponents of the idea argue that making the dollar weaker against other currencies would make U.S. exports relatively cheaper, which would lead to a reduction in the trade deficit.
—Patrick Horan, National Review, 25 Apr. 2024
And that’s where the idea for Elysium came from, the park name.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024
And then also something that was really fun to play with in this one specifically was the idea of intergenerational relationships between women.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The plan faced some local opposition in the fall when more than 6,000 residents signed a Change.org petition urging the city to kill the idea.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
This was during the Troubles, when the idea of Catholics and Protestants working side-by-side seemed impossible.
—Kathy Gilsinan, WIRED, 24 Apr. 2024
In recent years, people have grown used to the idea that women, people of color and LGBTQ people have the right to label language or actions sexist, racist or homophobic.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
What began as a theoretical conversation over drinks took hold of the pair, who decided to put the idea to the test.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
Proponents of the idea argue that making the dollar weaker against other currencies would make U.S. exports relatively cheaper, which would lead to a reduction in the trade deficit.
—Patrick Horan, National Review, 25 Apr. 2024
And that’s where the idea for Elysium came from, the park name.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024
And then also something that was really fun to play with in this one specifically was the idea of intergenerational relationships between women.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The plan faced some local opposition in the fall when more than 6,000 residents signed a Change.org petition urging the city to kill the idea.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
This was during the Troubles, when the idea of Catholics and Protestants working side-by-side seemed impossible.
—Kathy Gilsinan, WIRED, 24 Apr. 2024
In recent years, people have grown used to the idea that women, people of color and LGBTQ people have the right to label language or actions sexist, racist or homophobic.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024
What began as a theoretical conversation over drinks took hold of the pair, who decided to put the idea to the test.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the idea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the idea
Cite this Entry
“The idea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20idea. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
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