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

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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.
Very opinionated and articulate, and seems more interested in the idea behind the idea, rather than the actual idea itself. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 To scientists, the idea that the link between vaccines and autism simply hasn’t been studied enough – as Kennedy often claims – is astounding. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 When Curran — himself the guitarist of the band Longface, and a practicing attorney — reached out with the idea that would become Sooper, Ogbonnaya was reluctant at first. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 But what frightened me most was not death alone, but the idea of dying before my writings reached the world—that my story would disappear with me, and that my feelings, my memories, my identity, and my human experience would be erased. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the idea

Rhymes for the idea

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Browse Nearby Words

the Ice Age
the idea
the idea behind
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Cite this Entry

“The idea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20idea. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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