ideally

adverb

ide·​al·​ly ī-ˈdē-ə-lē 

-ˈdē(-ə)l-lē

1

a

: conformably to or in respect to an ideal : perfectly

He would have liked to live in a world of ideally united couples, himself ideally united …

—P. G. Wodehouse

b

: for best results

Ideally, the counselor should vary his techniques for each applicant …

—T. M. Martinez

c

: in accordance with an ideal or typical standard : classically

2

: in relation to an exemplar

3

: in idea or imagination : mentally

… was afraid of the gallows. She was terrified of them ideally. Having never set eyes on that last argument of men's justice …

—Joseph Conrad

Synonyms of ideally

• perfectly
• immaculately

Examples of ideally in a Sentence

His skills made him ideally suited for the job.

They were ideally suited to one another.

The ski slope was situated ideally.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to their flexible and lightweight thin-film design, these cells are ideally suited for integration into buildings and vehicles, as well as weight- and space-constrained space applications such as small satellites and orbital data centers. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

When financial expectations are broken down by gender, men ideally would like their partners to earn $101,000 a year, while women would like partners to earn $172,000 a year. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026

Manageably, omelets are best prepared one at a time, and ideally eaten immediately. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 2026

Its key element is water—or, ideally says the brand, mouthwash (and the one sold to you by them). — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for ideally

• lapilli
• swahili
• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli

Kids Definition

ideally

adverb

ide·​al·​ly ī-ˈdē-ə-lē 

-ˈdē(-ə)l-lē

1

: in agreement with an ideal : perfectly

ideally suited to the job

2

: for best results

ideally, each student should arrive early