1 ideation | Definition of ideation

ideation

noun
ide·​a·​tion | \ ˌī-dē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce ideation (audio) \

Definition of ideation

: the capacity for or the act of forming or entertaining ideas suicidal ideation

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Examples of ideation in a Sentence

caregivers are trained to watch for signs of depression and suicidal ideation—some patients are likely to put their fantasies to action

Recent Examples on the Web

While this has an upside in their sense of empathy and justice, the downsides include anxiety, depression and even suicidal ideation. Lynn Petrak, chicagotribune.com, "Petrak: La Grange psychologist on why ‘when I was your age’ doesn’t ring true, anymore," 22 Aug. 2019 In the two years since the show first debuted, several studies had emerged analyzing a possible spike in suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among young people that accompanied its release. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "Why Netflix Edited 13 Reasons Why," 19 July 2019 Carter’s texts to her long-distance boyfriend in the weeks leading up to his death paint a horrific portrait of someone exacerbating another’s suicidal ideation. Sonia Rao, Washington Post, "Michelle Carter encouraged her boyfriend to kill himself. This filmmaker tried to figure out why.," 10 July 2019 The research team identified 115,856 emergency department visits from 2008 to 2015 for suicide ideation or attempts in young people. Erika Edwards, NBC News, "Suicide rates among young people reach their highest level since 2000," 18 June 2019 Rabil has been embedded in tech and media circles for so long that his speech is now peppered with Silicon Valley buzzwords: endemic, ideation, best in class, mission critical. Ben Reiter, SI.com, "Can a New Barnstorming, Player-Centric Lacrosse League Serve as a Template for Other Sports?," 16 Nov. 2018 The growing popularity of hackathons and other ideation events stand testament to this. Richard Lobo, Quartz India, "Infosys HR chief on the three things Indian offices can do to prepare for millennial workers," 26 June 2019 Amofah, known across social media as Etika, went missing last week after posting a video detailing his struggles with suicidal ideations that concerned his fans. Breanna Edwards, Essence, "Body Recovered From NYC's East River During Search For Missing YouTuber Etika," 25 June 2019 Not all decompensating, dangerous paranoid patients have homosexual ideation. Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, "The Theory That Justified Anti-Gay Crime," 20 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ideation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ideation

1818, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for ideation

ideation

noun

Financial Definition of ideation

What It Is

Ideation is the act of forming ideas.

How It Works

For example, let's say Company XYZ makes widgets, and it wants to get into the children's widget market. Its product development team starts brainstorming ideas for specs, features and production methods.

This ideation process includes listing possible product features, designing prototypes, manufacturing prototypes, doing market research, and going back to square one with various iterations until something marketable and profitable emerges.

In a purely marketing context, ideation might involve creating an image board or concept for advertising.

Why It Matters

Ideation is what many business people spend a significant time doing. Without creativity, experimentation and dreaming, businesses would be far less innovative and thus far less profitable.

Source: Investing Answers

ideation

noun
ide·​a·​tion | \ ˌīd-ē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce ideation (audio) \

Medical Definition of ideation

: the capacity for or the act of forming or entertaining ideas suicidal ideation

More from Merriam-Webster on ideation

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with ideation

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ideation

Britannica English: Translation of ideation for Arabic Speakers