Definition of ideationnext
as in creativity
the ability to form mental images of things that either are not physically present or have never been conceived or created by others caregivers are trained to watch for signs of depression and suicidal ideation—some patients are likely to put their fantasies to action

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ideation The platform supports books up to 300,000 words and runs each project through over 1,000 internal steps from ideation through refinement. Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026 High or increasing addictive use trajectories were associated with elevated risks of suicidal behaviors or ideation compared with low addictive use, the study found. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2026 Stiles explained that the greatest benefit his team is currently seeing from the technology isn’t in product ideation but in reducing handoffs between steps, which enables more concurrent development time. Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 The agency in January requested the removal of boxed warnings for suicidal behavior or ideation from those medications. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ideation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideation
Noun
  • Slot and his side has received plenty of criticism for their style of play this season because of its lack of intensity, aggression, speed and creativity in and out of possession.
    Colin Millar, New York Times, 16 May 2026
  • An ambitious man, always pursuing new avenues for his creativity, Powell experimented with different media (radio, film and television) at a time when not many did.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 May 2026
Noun
  • Each reiteration and exaggeration of Mary’s bad behavior is another civic stroke of the chisel that perfects the monumental Lincoln in our collective imagination.
    Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • By using the language of French wines to write about Southern food, Beard was placing the latter on the same footing that European food held in the American imagination.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • There's also a palpable new seam of imaginativeness among residents.
    Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ideation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideation. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster