ideate

[ verb ahy-dee-eyt, ahy-dee-eyt; noun ahy-dee-eyt, ahy-dee-it ]

verb (used with object)

, i·de·at·ed, i·de·at·ing.

1. to form an idea, thought, or image of.

verb (used without object)

, i·de·at·ed, i·de·at·ing.

1. to form ideas; think.

noun

1. ideatum.

ideate

/ ˈaɪdɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. tr to form or have an idea of; to imagine or conceive

Derived Forms

• ˌideˈation, noun

Other Words From

• i·de·a·tive [ahy-, dee, -, uh, -tiv, ahy, -dee-ey-], adjective
• un·ide·ated adjective
• un·ide·ating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ideate¹

First recorded in 1600–10; ide(a) + -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ideate¹

C17: from Medieval Latin ideat- formed as an idea, from ideare , from Greek idea model, pattern, notion

Example Sentences

In a similar vein, the "Star Wars" TV extensions suffer from an unwillingness to abandon well-traveled canon and ideate fresh approaches.

From Salon

“At Spotify, we are constantly iterating and ideating to improve our product offering and offer value to users,” a company spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement.

From Seattle Times

I think that's what I'm also trying to spend my time ideating.

From Salon

Speaking of inspiration, one of the hallmarks of a confident baker is the ability to ideate and then actually bake a new recipe.

From Salon

There is a “sweet spot” to how engaging the activity is and its impact on creative thought: too little, and it is boring; too much, and it leaves little attention for ideating.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• appreciate
• consider
• figure out
• judge
• ponder
• reflect
• resolve
• speculate
• study