Kerneidé

Kerneidé is a neologism used to describe the central, defining idea at the heart of a concept, argument, or work. The term blends elements of the words kern (core) and idée (idea) from several European languages, but it has no single standardized etymology and is used mainly in design thinking and academic discussions as a heuristic.

Definition and scope: The kerneidé denotes the essential proposition that anchors other ideas; it is more specific than a general theme but broader than a thesis. It functions as a transferable, compact statement intended to summarize and guide understanding of a larger body of material.

Usage: Practitioners identify a kerneidé to facilitate communication, teaching, and collaboration. It supports summarization, concept mapping, and problem framing. It is not a formal scholarly term and standards vary by discipline.

Examples: In a climate policy paper, the kerneidé might be "rapid, scalable interventions are required now to avoid tipping points," with supporting subpoints. In a literature analysis, the kerneidé could be "the conflict between individual liberty and social responsibility underlies the narrative arc." See also core idea, central claim, kernel concept, design thinking.