Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Language / Words / Difference Between Idea and Thought

Difference Between Idea and Thought

June 10, 2011 Posted by Aron

Idea vs Thought

Idea and Thought are two words that are often confused when it comes to their meanings and connotations. Idea refers to a plan or a process that occurs in the mind in relation to the completion of a work or duty. Thought on the other hand is a mental process that keeps on going in the mind unabated. This is the main difference between the two words idea and thought.

Thought paves the way for an idea. This is the truth. Thoughts should combine to form an idea. In other words an idea is formed by the combination of thoughts about a particular problem. Hence you can say that the thought is a subset of idea. Observe the two sentences

1. The thought occurred in my mind.

2. An idea arose in my mind.

In the first sentence the use of the word ‘thought’ is to simply indicate a reason that occurred in the mind. On the other the use of the word ‘idea’ in the second sentence is to indicate ‘a plan’ that arose in the mind in relation to the solving of a problem or approaching a problem and the like. This is the difference between the usage of the two words ‘idea’ and ‘thought’.

A thought is a piece of reasoning produced by thinking. At times the word refers to a way of thinking that is characteristic to a particular class of people or society as in the expression ‘the medieval European thought’ or ‘the Western thought’.

An idea on the other hand refers to a conception or a plan formed by mental effort. In other words it can be said that an idea is nothing but a mental impression or notion or in simple words a concept. These are the differences between idea and thought.

Related posts:

Difference Between Creativity and InnovationDifference Between Creativity and Innovation Difference Between an Idea and a ConceptDifference Between Idea and Concept Difference Between a Thought and FeelingDifference Between Thought and Feeling Difference Between Behavior and Attitude Difference Between Attitude and Character

Filed Under: Words Tagged With: Concept, conception, Idea, Ideas, mental effort, plan formed, thinking, thought, thoughts

About the Author: Aron

Professor in Social Science and a contributing writer for Difference Between

Comments

  1. Michael Jang says

    July 25, 2014 at 12:54 am

    This explanation of the difference seems to me very inaccurate. The main difference that I can think of is that of temporality. Thoughts to me are much less permanent than ideas, but that said, the two words are generally interchangeable. But the notion that an idea is tied to a plan of action entirely erroneous.

    What’s more, the claims “A thought is a piece of reasoning produced by thinking” vs. “An idea on the other hand refers to a conception or a plan formed by mental effort” are saying pretty much the same thing, and do not really distinguish one from the other in any clear and generally applicable sense.

    Reply
    • Rabah N. Hadi says

      May 28, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      Very nice opinion, but simply from my hample point of view it is a matter of use and not clear-cut boundary between them and they are to some extent overlapped. Your point of temporality can be an addition to the above speech.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

What is the Difference Between Myxoma and Thrombus

What is the Difference Between Myxoma and Thrombus

What is the Difference Between Carbonyl Iron and Ferrous Ascorbate

What is the Difference Between Carbonyl Iron and Ferrous Ascorbate

Difference Between Sucrose Gradient and Sucrose Cushion Ultracentrifugation

Difference Between Sucrose Gradient and Sucrose Cushion Ultracentrifugation

What is the Difference Between Aquaphor and Hydrophor

What is the Difference Between Aquaphor and Hydrophor

Difference Between Monotheism and Polytheism

Difference Between Monotheism and Polytheism

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Lip Flip and Lip Filler
  • What is the Difference Between Bone Spurs and Plantar Fasciitis
  • What is the Difference Between Tension Pneumothorax and Cardiac Tamponade
  • What is the Difference Between Diverticulitis and Crohn’s Disease
  • What is the Difference Between Sharara and Lehenga
  • What is the Difference Between Leucoderma and Albinism
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.