as in creativity
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others
caregivers are trained to watch for signs of depression and suicidal ideation—some patients are likely to put their fantasies to action
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Recent Examples of ideation
The organization implements careful deployment of the capital, strengthened by human support to encourage and bolster ideation and creativity processes.
—
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
That governance model evolved over time, moving upstream into ideation and pilot phases rather than serving as a final gate.
—Peter High, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
My afternoon consists of more caption writing and creative ideation.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 28 Jan. 2026
From early ideation to final polish, AI software now allows solo creators and small teams to attempt projects that once required full crews and large budgets.
—Paul Ratner, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ideation
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
That governance model evolved over time, moving upstream into ideation and pilot phases rather than serving as a final gate.
—Peter High, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
My afternoon consists of more caption writing and creative ideation.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 28 Jan. 2026
From early ideation to final polish, AI software now allows solo creators and small teams to attempt projects that once required full crews and large budgets.
—Paul Ratner, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ideation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideation
Noun
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Yet in courts today, those same song lyrics can be presented to a jury as evidence of guilt, casting creativity as a literal confession.—
Ivan J. Bates,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
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Sunny Rey Azzarito was in the fourth grade and struggling a bit in school when her teacher looked at one of her assignments and saw creativity where someone else may have chosen criticism.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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May 21 – June 20 When structure meets imagination, conversations bloom.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Apr. 2026
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Their height and heft frightened and thrilled spectators, earning dinosaurs a permanent place in the public imagination, Coules said.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.—
Toby Skinner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ideation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideation. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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