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

That’s designed to provide a new front door for content discovery that (ideally) drives long-form viewing, all within a single experience. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

The hope is that Wilson or Buzelis (or, ideally, both) will grow into that role over the next few years. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026

Many of the units come with full kitchens and have one or two bedrooms making it ideally for families or those traveling in a group. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026

Celebrity guests accompany the contestants, ideally helping and not hindering them, to an all-or-nothing final, where one test decides everything, including the true identity of the player. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 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