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
Nicole Howard, the organization’s executive vice president, said that the idea is to embed dental services more directly in the daily flow of primary medical care that health centers offer.
—
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
The novel was a smash (a coworker, upon hearing me mention the show during a meeting, lit up and declared it her favorite book ever), and perhaps the material was exciting in that form, especially when the idea was still relatively, well, novel.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
Reddin and fellow alderman Hallquist worked with Director of Parks and Recreation John Kelliher and the Playground Committee to bring the idea to life.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 6 May 2024
A lot of her work explores the idea of adornment as a metaphor for community.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2024
This year, political pundits are doubling down on the idea that Orange County’s mauve march continues.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
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
Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2024
The novel was a smash (a coworker, upon hearing me mention the show during a meeting, lit up and declared it her favorite book ever), and perhaps the material was exciting in that form, especially when the idea was still relatively, well, novel.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
Reddin and fellow alderman Hallquist worked with Director of Parks and Recreation John Kelliher and the Playground Committee to bring the idea to life.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 6 May 2024
A lot of her work explores the idea of adornment as a metaphor for community.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2024
This year, political pundits are doubling down on the idea that Orange County’s mauve march continues.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
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
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 11 May. 2024.
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