ideal

adjective ide·al \ ī-ˈdē(-ə)l , ˈī-ˌdē(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: ideal in a Sentence

Definition of ideal

1 : existing as an archetypal idea

2 a : existing as a mental image or in fancy or imagination only; broadly : lacking practicality

b : relating to or constituting mental images, ideas, or conceptions

3 a : of, relating to, or embodying an ideal

ideal beauty

b : conforming exactly to an ideal, law, or standard : perfect

an ideal gas

— compare real 1c(3)

4 : of or relating to philosophical idealism

See ideal defined for English-language learners

See ideal defined for kids

Examples of ideal in a Sentence

It was an ideal spot for a vacation.
She is an ideal candidate for the job.
The conference provided us with an ideal opportunity to meet new people.

Recent Examples of ideal from the Web

For a certain time and place and culture, that ideal really was kind of designated.

— amy keller laird, Allure, "Miss America's Bikini Ban Is a Good Step, But It's Not Enough," 14 June 2018
When players like Hazard will soon have to mentally prepare themselves for next season, or consider their options in the summer transfer market, the situation is less than ideal.

— SI.com, "Eden Hazard Demands to 'Know' What the Summer Holds for Chelsea as He Considers Impact on Own Future," 11 June 2018
Home to artists and celebrities like Bill Murray and (formerly) Diane Sawyer, the secluded neighborhood is located just 12 miles north of Manhattan’s George Washington Bridge, making it an ideal place to live for commuters.

— lauren ro, Curbed, "Charming 1854 home just outside NYC wants $925K," 4 June 2018
That’s an admirable goal, even if the company’s approach to achieving it is less than ideal.

— aja romano, Vox, "To halt revenge porn, potential victims may have to submit their own nudes to Facebook.," 23 May 2018
Neither player nor team expected to be reunited this season, and in some ways, the situation is less than ideal.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Moose, Mahomes, Moore, Zenger out and the NBA in? | The Kansas City Star," 22 May 2018
Newer models are a bit faster to autofocus in less-than-ideal light, too.

— jeff dunn, Ars Technica, "The Ars Technica Mother’s Day gift guide," 7 May 2018
Chugach State Park encompasses approximately 495,000 acres of public land, and Girdwood is an ideal place to dive in.

— kirsten swann, Anchorage Daily News, "Girdwood, Whittier, Seward: The best of Alaska along one epic, scenic highway," 3 May 2018
But the concept can be daunting for anyone who is just starting a workout program, recovering from an injury or surgery, or packing a little more weight than ideal.

— carolee walker, chicagotribune.com, "You don't need HIIT to get fit. Try a low-intensity workout instead.," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ideal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ideal

Middle English ydeall, from Late Latin idealis, from Latin idea

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

ideal Synonyms

Other Physics Terms

amplitude, centrifugal, centripetal, convection, gradient, hysteresis, kinetic, lase, quantum

ideal

noun

Definition of ideal

1 : a standard of perfection, beauty, or excellence

2 : one regarded as exemplifying an ideal and often taken as a model for imitation

3 : an ultimate object or aim of endeavor : goal

4 : a subset of a mathematical ring that is closed under addition and subtraction and contains the products of any given element of the subset with each element of the ring

—

idealless

play \ī-ˈdē(-ə)l-ləs\ adjective

See ideal defined for English-language learners

Examples of ideal in a Sentence

an ideal of romantic love
He hasn't lived up to his high ideals.
She considers the actress her ideal.

Recent Examples of ideal from the Web

Women and girls are under enormous societal pressure to be thin and that pressure is even harder to bear when a parent also espouses those ideals.

— cheryl strayed, New York Times, "Is Avoiding My Body Issues an Issue?," 12 June 2018
Now, with the full moon also reflecting the Capricornian ideals of work, success, and responsibility, these concepts are vividly illuminated.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "What Your Sign's June 2018 Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 29 May 2018
This award is presented to people who exemplify in their daily lives the ideals of the Boy Scouts of America as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law, according to the program.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Andy Klein earns Good Scout Award for Boy Scouts, raises $80,000," 25 May 2018
Promoting gender parity and inclusion in society starts with paying architecture and construction firms that already embody these ideals.

— diana budds, Curbed, "How architecture can rebuild itself post #MeToo," 21 May 2018
But those ideals cannot be realized in the abstract, away from the voting booths.

— amy davidson sorkin, The New Yorker, "John McCain’s Long Fight," 20 May 2018
Sheffer argues that Asperger supported the Nazi goal of eliminating children who could not fit in with the Volk: the fascist ideal of a homogeneous Aryan people.

— simon baron-cohen, Scientific American, "The Truth About Hans Asperger’s Nazi Collusion," 17 May 2018
The decades-long commitment to these ideals before independence in 1947 led to the adoption of India’s formal democratic institutions upon independence.

— maya tudor, Washington Post, "How nationalism can actually help democracies," 25 Apr. 2018
Some of his giving has been to nonprofits geared toward bolstering those ideals.

— annie linskey, BostonGlobe.com, "In the era of Donald Trump, New England’s biggest GOP donor is funding Democrats," 15 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of ideal

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

ideal Synonyms

Synonyms

aim, ambition, aspiration, design, dream, end, goal, idea, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, objective, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, thing;

Near Antonyms

means, method, way;

Related Words

grail, holy grail;

plot, project, scheme;

desire, hope, mind, wish;

nirvana;

destination, terminus;

Phrases

name of the game;

Synonym Discussion of ideal

model, example, pattern, exemplar, ideal mean someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation. model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

- a decor that is a model of good taste

example applies to a person to be imitated or in some contexts on no account to be imitated but to be regarded as a warning.

- children tend to follow the example of their parents

pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

- American industry set a pattern for others to follow

exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

- cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

- never found a job that matched his ideal

IDEAL Defined for English Language Learners

ideal

adjective

Definition of ideal for English Language Learners

: exactly right for a particular purpose, situation, or person

ideal

noun

Definition of ideal for English Language Learners

: an idea or standard of perfection or excellence
: someone or something that is believed to be perfect : someone or something that you admire and want to imitate

IDEAL Defined for Kids

ideal

adjective ide·al \ ī-ˈdē-əl \

Definition of ideal for Students

: having no flaw : perfect

ideal weather

—

ideally

adverb

ideal

noun

Definition of ideal for Students

1 : a standard of perfection, beauty, or excellence

He couldn't live up to his own ideals.

2 : someone who deserves to be imitated or admired

She considered the older woman her ideal.

Medical Dictionary

ideal

adjective ide·al \ ī-ˈdē(-ə)l , ˈī-ˌ \

medical Definition of ideal

1 : existing as an archetypal idea

2 a : existing as a mental image or in fancy or imagination only

b : relating to or constituting mental images, ideas, or conceptions

ideal

noun

medical Definition of ideal

: a standard of perfection, beauty, or excellence

self-criticism and the formation of ideals are…the essential manifestations of the superego
—G. S. Blum

Learn More about ideal

See words that rhyme with ideal Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ideal Spanish Central: Translation of ideal Nglish: Translation of ideal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ideal for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ideal

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ideal

Definition of ideal

Examples of ideal in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ideal from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ideal

ideal Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Physics Terms

ideal

Definition of ideal

idealless

Examples of ideal in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ideal from the Web

First Known Use of ideal

ideal Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

Synonym Discussion of ideal

Phrases Related to IDEAL

Related Phrases

IDEAL Defined for English Language Learners

ideal

Definition of ideal for English Language Learners

ideal

Definition of ideal for English Language Learners

IDEAL Defined for Kids

ideal

Definition of ideal for Students

ideally

ideal

Definition of ideal for Students

Medical Dictionary

ideal

medical Definition of ideal

ideal

medical Definition of ideal

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