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See the Origin of Ideate
Like idea and ideal, ideate comes from the Greek verb idein, which means “to see.” The sight-thought connection came courtesy of Plato, the Greek philosopher who based his theory of the ideal on the concept of seeing, claiming that a true philosopher can see the essential nature of things and can recognize their ideal form or state. Early uses of idea, ideal, and ideate in English were associated with Platonic philosophy; idea meant “an archetype” or “a standard of perfection,” ideal meant “existing as an archetype,” and ideate referred to forming Platonic ideas. But though ideate is tied to ancient philosophy, the word itself is a modern concoction, relatively speaking. It first appeared in English only about 400 years ago.
Synonyms
Examples of ideate in a Sentence
Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.d., J.d., Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Though the powdery floral, ideated around notes of neroli, May rose, aldehydes, and bourbon vanilla, has been in high demand since its 1921 launch, Chanel continues to find ways to give this classic scent new life.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
Suddenly, with Woods finally deciding that the captaincy was too much to handle on top of the PGA Tour-PIF negotiations, the Americans were tasked with ideating a backup plan.
—Gabby Herzig, The Athletic, 9 July 2024
First, the pair began ideating their first permanent restaurant Ha’s Snack Bar, which is set to open in December 2024.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ideate 
Dictionary Entries Near ideate
Cite this Entry
“Ideate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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