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I thought the idea was to go for a drink after work. | What was the idea of telling him that? (usually used to suggest that something was a bad idea) 7 get the idea (that) to come to believe (often mistakenly): Don't get the wrong idea; I really like her. 8 put ideas in someone's head to make someone hope for things they cannot have 9 The idea!/What an ideal (an expression of surprise at a strange thought or suggestion, or of disagreement with a silly thought or suggestion)
i·deal¹ /aɪˈdɪəl/ adj 1 perfect in every way: an ideal marriage | It's an ideal place for a holiday. 2 [(for)] very suitable: This picture book is ideal for young children. 3 expressing possible perfection which is unlikely to exist in the real world: the ideal system of government ➔ see also IDEALLY
ideal² n 1 [often pl.] (a belief in) high principles or perfect standards: a woman with/of high ideals | They share our democratic ideals. 2 [(of)] a perfect example: That's my ideal of what a house should be like.
Ideal Home trademark a British magazine containing pictures of beautiful houses and articles about ways to decorate your own home
Ideal Home Exhibition, the an EXHIBITION of furniture and objects for the house, held every year in London
i·deal·ism /aɪˈdiːəlɪzəm/ n [U] 1 the quality or habit of living according to one's ideals, or the belief that such a way of life is possible: youthful idealism ➔ compare MATERIALISM 2 (in art) the principle of showing the world in a perfect form, although such perfection may not exist ➔ compare NATURALISM, REALISM
i·deal·ist /aɪˈdiːəlɪst/ n sometimes derog a person who tries to live according to high principles or perfect standards, often in a way that is impractical or shows a lack of understanding of the real world: a youthful idealist —–ic /ˌaɪdiəˈlɪstɪk/ adj —–ically /kli/ adv
i·deal·ize also -ise BrE /aɪˈdiːəlaɪz/ v [T] to imagine or represent as perfect or as better than reality: He tends to idealize the time he spent in the army. | Her books give a rather idealized picture of life in 19th-century England. | The theory works only when applied to an idealized model of language. —–ization /ˌaɪdiəlaɪˈzeɪʃən||-lə-/ n [C;U]
i·deal·ly /aɪˈdiːli/ adv 1 in an ideal way: ideally beautiful | ideally suited 2 in an ideal situation; if conditions were perfect: Ideally, we should have twice as much office space as we have now.
id·em /ˈɪdem, ˈaɪdem/ pron Lat (of a book, writer etc, already mentioned) the same
i·den·ti·cal /aɪˈdentɪkəl/ adj 1 [(to, with)] exactly alike: two sisters with identical voices | Your voice is identical to hers. 2 the same: This is the identical hotel we stayed at last year. —–cally /kli/ adv
i,dentical 'twin n [usually pl.] either of a pair of children or animals born from one egg of the mother and usually looking extremely alike
i·den·ti·fi·ca·tion /aɪˌdentɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ n [U] 1 the act of identifying or fact of being identified: The body had been badly burned so identification was difficult. 2 something (such as an official paper) which is proof or a sign of identity: Let me see your identification. | His only means of identification was his passport. | baggage identification tags | vehicle identification numbers 3 [(with)] the feeling that one shares the ideas, feelings, problems etc of another person, especially a character in a story: his identification with the hero of the book
i,dentifi'cation pa,rade BrE || line-up AmE — n a process by which a person who saw a crime take place is asked by the police to look at a group of people and say which one took part in the crime
i·den·ti·fy /aɪˈdentɪfaɪ/ v [T] 1 [(as)] to prove or show the identity of: She was asked to identify the criminal. | She identified herself to the police as the driver of the vehicle. | The dead man has been identified as Mr James Gould. 2 to discover or recognize: They have now identified the main cause of the problem.
identify with phr v [T] 1 [(identify with sbdy/sthg.)] to feel one shares (the ideas, feelings, problems etc) of (someone, especially a person in a story): Reading this book, we can identify with the main character/with the main character's struggle. 2 [(identify sbdy. with sthg.)] to cause or consider (someone) to be connected with: He is too closely identified with the previous administration to be given a job in this one.
i·den·ti·kit /aɪˈdentɪkɪt/ BrE || composite AmE — n a collection of photographs or DRAWINGS of parts of faces which can be fitted together to produce pictures of different faces, so that witnesses to a crime may choose the face that looks most like that of the criminal: Police have issued an identikit picture of the killer. | (fig.) identikit pop stars who all look and sound alike ➔ compare CLONE, PHOTOFIT
i·den·ti·ty /aɪˈdentɪti/ n 1 [C;U] who or what a particular person or thing is: The identity of the murdered woman has not yet been established. | She experienced a loss of identity/an identity crisis after giving up her career to get married. (=felt as if she lacked self-confidence and had no particular purpose in life) 2 [U] sameness; exact likeness
i'dentity card also ID card n a card with one's name, photograph, signature etc, which proves one's identity
i'dentity pa,rade n BrE an IDENTIFICATION PARADE
id·e·o·gram /ˈɪdiəɡræm/ also id·e·o·graph /-ɡrɑːf||-ɡræ/ — n a written sign (as in Chinese writing) which represents an idea or thing rather than the sound of a word
i·de·o·logue /ˈaɪdiəˌlɒɡ||ˈɔːɡ, -,lɑːɡ/ n usually derog a person who is strongly influenced by a particular ideology and tries to follow it very closely
i·de·ol·o·gy /ˌaɪdiˈɒlədʒi||ˈɑːl-/ n [C;U] sometimes derog a set of ideas, especially one on which a political or economic system is based: Marxist ideology | the free market ideology of the extreme right —–ogical /ˌaɪdiəˈlɒdʒɪkəl||ˈlɑː-/ adj —–ogically /kli/ adv: Ideologically, they have many differences. | As a socialist, I don't feel that buying shares in companies sold off by the government is ideologically sound.
ides /aɪdz/ n [P] lit (in the ancient Roman CALENDAR) a date or period of time around the middle of the month
Ides of 'March, the March 15th, famous for being the day on which Julius CAESAR was killed by a group of his former friends because they thought he had too much power. Caesar is supposed to have been warned by a FORTUNE-TELLER to 'Beware the Ides of March'.
id·i·o·cy /ˈɪdiəsi/ n 1 [U] the state of being an idiot 2 [C] a stupid action
id·i·o·lect /ˈɪdiəlekt/ n tech a particular person's use of language
id·i·om /ˈɪdiəm/ n 1 a phrase which means something different from the meanings of the separate words from which it is formed: To 'kick the bucket' is an English idiom meaning 'to die'. 2 the way of expression typical of a person or a group in their use of language: the idiom of the young | (fig.) the new and exciting idiom of modern popular music
id·i·o·mat·ic /ˌɪdiəmætɪk/ adj 1 of or containing an idiom: To 'kick the bucket' is an idiomatic expression. 2 (of a word, way of speaking etc) typical of the natural speech of a person speaking in their first language: a Frenchman who speaks idiomatic English —–ally /kli/ adv
id·i·o·syn·cra·sy /ˌɪdiəˈsɪŋkrəsi/ n a strange or unusual habit or way of behaving that a particular person has: Keeping pet snakes is an idiosyncrasy of his. —–cratic /ˌɪdiəsɪnˈkrætk/ adj
id·i·ot /ˈɪdiət/ n 1 a foolish person: What did you do that for, you idiot! 2 old use tech a person of very weak mind, usually from birth ➔ compare IMBECILE —–ic /ˌɪdiˈɒtɪk||ˈɑːt-/ adj —–ically /kli/ adv
'idiot ,light n AmE a light on the DASHBOARD of a car which goes on when something is wrong with the car: The idiot light flashed on to show that the engine was about to overheat.
'idiot-,proof adj so easy to use or do that even stupid people will not break it or make a mistake: idiot-proof instructions
i·dle¹ /ˈaɪdl/ adj 1 not working or operating productively: Owing to the electricity strike, a lot of factory workers were left idle. | We can't afford to have all this expensive machinery lying idle. | the idle rich (=rich people who do not work for a living) 2 lazy; wasting time ➔ see also BONE-IDLE 3 not based on fact or good reason: idle rumour/gossip/talk | His words were just idle threats; he can't hurt us. 4 [A] having no