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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Its significance may lie in making the idea accessible to a much wider audience. — New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026 Another group of fourth graders in Texas came up with the idea to deploy AI to identify and locate missing students in an emergency like a fire or school lockdown. — Kiryn Hoffman, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Take the idea that the passage of Proposition 40 would presage a flood of more tax hikes. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Is there a part of you that resists the idea of depending on this treatment? — Marcela Gottschald, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the idea

Cite this Entry

Style

“The idea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20idea. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

the idea

noun

Examples of the idea in a Sentence

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes

the idea

noun

Examples of the idea in a Sentence

Rhymes for the idea

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes