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
While these claims are accurate, the idea that Sun Chips are beneficial to one's health is a bit far-fetched.
—
Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 20 May 2024
Whether the idea to transition into numbers that slide into/borrow from Latin pop and Mexican folk corridos would help make the movie more accessible — or at the very least more of a Pedro Almodóvar-like mash-up of camp, melodrama, genre stylings and emotional gravitas — is anyone’s guess.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2024
During a phone interview, Lilly Rocha, CEO of the Latino Restaurant Association, said that the idea of promoting Latino restaurant owners this way came during the coronavirus pandemic, which heavily impacted the hospitality industry.
—Charlie Vargas, Orange County Register, 18 May 2024
Though Arthur Woods and others would petition endlessly for the creation of a proper national detective force, Congress had continually rejected the idea, wary of consolidating too much power in the federal government.
—Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024
So that’s the idea of this book and also in book two.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024
The Heat fundamentally disagrees with the idea of trading top players for draft picks and rebuilding over multiple seasons.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez isn’t ready to commit to the idea of a separate college football playoff for Group of Five teams.
—Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2024
Almost all business leaders pay lip service to the idea of flexibility.
—Ram Charan, Fortune, 7 May 2024
Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 20 May 2024
Whether the idea to transition into numbers that slide into/borrow from Latin pop and Mexican folk corridos would help make the movie more accessible — or at the very least more of a Pedro Almodóvar-like mash-up of camp, melodrama, genre stylings and emotional gravitas — is anyone’s guess.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2024
During a phone interview, Lilly Rocha, CEO of the Latino Restaurant Association, said that the idea of promoting Latino restaurant owners this way came during the coronavirus pandemic, which heavily impacted the hospitality industry.
—Charlie Vargas, Orange County Register, 18 May 2024
Though Arthur Woods and others would petition endlessly for the creation of a proper national detective force, Congress had continually rejected the idea, wary of consolidating too much power in the federal government.
—Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024
So that’s the idea of this book and also in book two.
—Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024
The Heat fundamentally disagrees with the idea of trading top players for draft picks and rebuilding over multiple seasons.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez isn’t ready to commit to the idea of a separate college football playoff for Group of Five teams.
—Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 7 May 2024
Almost all business leaders pay lip service to the idea of flexibility.
—Ram Charan, Fortune, 7 May 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 28 May. 2024.
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