any conception existing in the mind as a result of mental understanding, awareness, or activity.

a thought, conception, or notion

That is an excellent idea.

an impression

He gave me a general idea of how he plans to run the department.

an opinion, view, or belief

His ideas on raising children are certainly strange.

a plan of action; an intention

the idea of becoming an engineer.

a groundless supposition; fantasy.

Philosophy .

a concept developed by the mind.

a conception of what is desirable or ought to be; ideal.

( initial capital letter ) Platonism . Also called form. an archetype or pattern of which the individual objects in any natural class are imperfect copies and from which they derive their being.

Kantianism . idea of pure reason.

Music . a theme, phrase, or figure.

Obsolete .

a likeness.

a mental image.

noun

believed abstraction , aim , approximation , belief , brainstorm * , clue , concept , conception , conclusion , conviction , design , doctrine , end , essence , estimate , fancy , feeling , flash * , form , guess , hint , hypothesis , import , impression , inkling , intention , interpretation , intimation , judgment , meaning , notion , object , objective , opinion , pattern , perception , plan , purpose , reason , scheme , sense , significance , solution , suggestion , suspicion , teaching , theory , thought , understanding , view , viewpoint , image , mind , persuasion , position , sentiment , hunch , intuition , blueprint , game plan , layout , project , schema , strategy , point , purport , significancy , abstraction , archetype , axiom , brainchild , brainstorm , brainstorming , conceptus , conjecture , construct , fixation , generalization , insight , obsession , percept , philosophy , postulate , preoccupation , principle , reaction , sacred cow , slant , supposition , surmise , vehicle