idealist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of idealistnext
as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality an idealist attempt to make a go of a mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street

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idealist

2 of 2

noun

ī-ˈdē-(ə-)list How to pronounce idealist (audio)
as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world an idealist sees the best in everyone, regardless of how they behave

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of idealist
Adjective
This, in turn, becomes logically reliant on the idealist paradigm of Consciousness as the fundamental lowest common denominator of reality. — Carlo Tortora Brayda, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 Labour leader Starmer, though, has taken a realist rather than an idealist approach to the president, putting Britain's foreign policy interests above the strong opposition to Trump in the rank and file of his own party. — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
An idealist could view the competing chatter as throat-clearing typical of a high-stakes labor negotiation. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 15 July 2026 But Veda is no idealist out to end wars or reject her parents’ materialism. — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for idealist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealist
  1. romantic
  2. dreamer
  3. idealistic
  4. impractical
  5. utopian
Adjective
  • It Brizé’s fourth time in competition at Venice after the Fipresci Prize winning A Woman’s Life as well as Another World and romantic interlude Out of Season, starring Guillaume Canet and Rohrwacher.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Furthermore a Washington Post investigation found nearly 50 cases of officers charged with or accused of misusing the cameras, many involving tracking current or former romantic partners.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of romantic
Noun
  • San Francisco Playhouse is currently presenting the musical, helmed by company artistic director Bill English (with Phaedra Tillery-Boughton credited as associate director) and starring Ella Ruth Francis as the indefatigable dreamer Tracy Turnblad.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians and dreamers from every walk of life and across every continent.
    — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dreamer
Adjective
  • After an idealistic youth and a subsequent nervous breakdown, our eldest Ramona, Ramona Jover, eventually finds strength in resignation to what a woman born in the 1800s can ever do or be.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Harper arrived at Bates College in Maine in 2020 as an idealistic new PhD in comparative literature, grateful for the tenure-track job that promised him that rarest of prizes these days — a career in the humanities.
    — Gary Rosen, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of idealistic
Adjective
  • Force majeure clauses excuse a party from performance when an unforeseeable external event like extreme weather or war makes performance impossible or impractical.
    — Ashlee Difuntorum, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • There is no justification for American deaths in the name of the unsustainable and impractical goal of total military dominance, let alone unnecessary wars of choice.
    — Alexander Langlois, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of impractical
Adjective
  • Fuller’s ideas are hard to summarize, but always seem to reach toward a utopian vision of escaping the drudgery of everyday life.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Zuckerberg’s hope is that these developers will use that freedom to develop user-friendly apps and businesses that will eventually usher in utopian AI tech to the average person.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of utopian

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Cite this Entry

“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealist. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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