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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.
Examples of ideate in a Sentence
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
In the brand’s online shop, each wine listing is accompanied by classic tasting notes and pairing suggestions, but also a brief bio of the vineyard where its grapes were sourced and a story of how the wine was ideated, fermented and blended.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Someone who brings people along with the agenda and to ideate the future.
—Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
The unfolding saga in the Kirk assassination investigation casts a spotlight on how past perpetrators of high-profile shootings had taken to Discord to announce their plans, ideate about committing mass violence, and at times coordinate logistics.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ideate
Cite this Entry
“Ideate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideate. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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