What is the Latin word for idea?

The usual Latin words for “idea” are intellegentia, nōtiō, opīniō; also suspiciō, cōgitātiō, sententia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“idea” in Latin

intellegentiaintelligence, the power of discernment; understanding, knowledge; taste, skill, the capacity to be a connoisseur nōtiōacquaintance (becoming acquainted); examination, investigation; notion, idea opīniōopinion, conjecture, imagination, fancy, belief, expectation; reputation, esteem; report, rumor suspiciōto look up at or to; to admire, respect, regard, esteem, honor; to look askance cōgitātiōthinking, meditation, reflection; thought; reasoning sententiaa way of thinking, view, opinion, judgement or sentence; a purpose, intention, will (one's thinking in respect to the fu ideaidea; prototype (Platonic)speciēsseeing, view, look; spectacle, sight; external appearance, looks; general outline or shape isthis or that man, woman or thing; he, she, it, they (previously introduced); this or that [man, woman or thing] (as a no fōrmaform; figure, shape, appearance; fine form; beauty; outline, plan, design

The English word idea itself goes back to Latin idea.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

idea

Notion, intelligentia (the knowledge of anything): notio (the notion one forms of anything): opinio: suspicio (the opinion one holds or conjecture one forms about anything): cogitatio (the thought): sententia (the opinion one firmly holds and expresses when there is occasion). Sometimes quod fingimus: forma or species menti objecta (as conceived by the mind). The idea of the divinity or of God, Dei opinio, suspicio (Vid: Cic., N.D., 1, 12, init., and 23, init.): also, informatio Dei (Cic., N.D., 1, 17, 45). An innate idea, notio in animis informata: notio animis impressa, etc. [Vid: “innate NOTION. “] The innate idea of a God, informatio Dei animo antecepta: a general idea, intelligentia or notio communis. To form an idea of anything, aliquid animo (or mente) formare or fingere; aliquid animo effingere; alicujus rei notionem mente fingere; informare in animo alicujus rei notionem; notionem alicujus rei animo concipere; aliquid cogitatione or cogitatione et mente complecti: to form an obscure or faint idea of anything, intelligentias adumbratas concipere animo menteque: to have an idea of anything, habere cogitationem de re: to realize an idea in anything or anybody, effigiem expressam reddere in aliqua re or in aliquo: to exist in idea, fingi (Cic.): to be different in idea, but identical in fact, cogitatione differre, re quidem copulata esse.

In philosophy, in the Platonic sense, idea (ἰδέα, in post-Augustan, prose): species (hanc illi ἰδέαν appellabant - nos recte speciem possumus dicere, Cic.): eorum, quae natura fiunt, exemplar aeternum: exemplar rerum (both Sen.). To consider things in their idea, a consuetudine oculorum aciem mentis abducere; mentem ab oculis sevocare; animum ad se ipsum advocare.

“Association of ideas”: Hand thinks that *associatio idearum must be allowed as technical term.

Ideal perfection of anything. [Vid. IDEAL, substantive] To form to one’s self an idea of anything, singularem quandam summae perfectionis imaginem animo et cogitatione concipere; absolutionis imaginem sibi perficere; singularem quandam summae perfectionis speciem animo et mente informare: to have or conceive an idea of anything, comprehensam animo quandam formam habere; of anything, alicujus in mente insidet species alicujus rei: to try to realize one’s idea, ad speciei similitudinem artem dirigere.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for idea?: The usual Latin words for “idea” are intellegentia, nōtiō, opīniō; also suspiciō, cōgitātiō, sententia. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.