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Meaning & use

main idea

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌmeɪn aɪˈdɪə/
US/ˌmeɪn aɪˈdiː.ə/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    The most important point a text, talk, or paragraph is making, to which the other details relate.

    Grammar: Takes the: the main idea of the paragraph. It is often shortened in school lessons to just main idea.

    Patterns

    • the main idea of something
    • identify the main idea

    The main idea of the article is that sleep improves memory.

    Underline the main idea in each paragraph.

    I missed the main idea because I focused on small facts.

  2. nouncountable

    The central message or point of a plan, argument, or conversation, not just a text.

    Grammar: Used outside reading classes too: what is the main idea of the proposal?

    Patterns

    • the main idea behind something

    The main idea behind the proposal is to cut waste.

    Can you summarize the main idea of the meeting?

    His main idea was simple: save more and spend less.

Word forms

pluralmain ideas

Common combinations

identify the main idea
Students learn to identify the main idea of a passage.
state the main idea
State the main idea in one sentence.
the main idea of the text
The main idea of the text is hidden in the third paragraph.
main idea and supporting details
A good paragraph has a main idea and supporting details.
miss the main idea
If you skim too fast, you might miss the main idea.

Synonyms and how they differ

central idea
Central idea is a near-identical term, and sounds a little more formal or academic.
gist
Gist is informal and means the general sense of something, even if you did not follow the details.
theme
Theme is often a broader subject in a story, such as loss, whereas main idea is a specific point the text makes.
thesis
A thesis is the specific claim an essay sets out to prove, so it is narrower and more formal than main idea.

Opposites

supporting detailminor point

Word family

idea noun
a thought or suggestion
main adjective
most important
mainly adverb
for the most part
ideal noun
a perfect standard or aim

Commonly confused: main idea or topic?

main idea vs topic

The topic is the subject, such as dogs, whereas the main idea is what the writer says about it, such as that dogs need exercise.

Practice

A paragraph discusses why bees matter: they pollinate crops, they make honey, and their numbers are falling. Which is the best statement of its main idea?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “main idea”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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