ideal

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

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

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 2b(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 example, the sideline courtside camera can’t quite see the near corners, and the stanchion cams are not ideal for watching the action on the opposite end of the court.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "Putting the NBA in Virtual Reality to the Test," 20 Apr. 2018
All in all, the De-Frizzer dry conditioner will definitely be a curly-girl savior because going through an entire wash-day routine multiple times a week isn’t ideal.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "This New Dry Conditioner Will Make Wash-and-Go’s Last Longer," 17 Apr. 2018
Stashing your fresh herbs in the freezer isn’t ideal; depending on the variety, their leaves may break down and turn dark and mushy.

— becky krystal, charlotteobserver, "Fresh herbs will be here soon: Here’s how to make the best of them | Charlotte Observer," 17 Apr. 2018
The first game will begin at 1:10 p.m., the second game at 7:10 p.m. More on Tigers: The rescheduling is not ideal for either the Tigers or Major League Baseball: June 4 is the first day of the 2018 MLB draft, of which the Tigers hold the No.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers-N.Y. Yankees doubleheader now June 4, MLB draft Day 1," 15 Apr. 2018
HISD Board of Trustees President Rhonda Skillern-Jones noted Carranza had more than a year left on his deal, and three new trustees were seated in January -- intimating that the timing for an extension wasn't ideal.

— jacob carpenter, Houston Chronicle, "Separation agreement shows clean break between Carranza, Houston ISD," 11 Apr. 2018
Yet combining monk fruit extract with another non-nutritive (in other words, zero-calorie) sweetener, like the popular sugar alcohol erythritol, isn’t ideal either.

— anthea levi, Health.com, "What Is Monk Fruit Sweetener and Is It a Healthy Option?," 11 Apr. 2018
But the rising sophomore’s start this spring wasn’t ideal.

— carter karels, San Antonio Express-News, "Newcomer Weeks could compete for UTSA’s QB job," 11 Apr. 2018
The one thing this stove isn't ideal for is for quick cooking, like making coffee or boiling water for pasta.

— emily reed, Outside Online, "This Is The Last Backpacking Stove You'll Buy," 9 Apr. 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

No team in baseball has struck out more often than the Orioles, and manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday that the ideal would be to bring all those numbers down to zero.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles' Showalter on league-leading strikeout totals: 'We'd like to not strike out ever'," 18 Apr. 2018
The ideal is to take responsibility, express remorse and apologize, and explain the way forward to make sure the same crisis does not recur.

— vanessa fuhrmans, WSJ, "How Did Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Do? Crisis-Management Experts Weigh In," 11 Apr. 2018
For many, this economists’ ideal is a step too far.

— The Economist, "How to narrow Britain’s gender-pay gap," 7 Apr. 2018
To her, ideals such as civic responsibility and participation are universally beneficial.

— sam spengler, Smithsonian, "How One Museum Curator Is Bringing Burning Man Out of the Desert," 30 Mar. 2018
To collaborate with empowered, thoughtful, high-spirited, incredibly intelligent, empathetic women who have the highest values and ideals is incredibly rewarding.

— garrett mitchell, azcentral, "Ashley Judd talks about Time's Up, #MeToo and her humanitarian work," 27 Mar. 2018
Promotion for the album will include a visual campaign that encompasses multiple album covers and a variety of billboard advertisements across the country, with each cover presenting a different set of ideals that the band believe encompass America.

— mackenzie cummings-grady, Billboard, "Thirty Seconds To Mars Unveil Title and Track List For Forthcoming Fifth Album," 22 Mar. 2018
Set to the soundtrack of greats like John Lennon and The Beach Boys, the story spans two decades and follows the rise and fall of Communist ideals within the characters' lives - both personal and political.

— 'sam' boyer/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "This announcement brought back memories: Whit & Whimsey," 9 Mar. 2018
As the International Olympics Committee states, the individual who takes on this meaningful role embodies the nation's values, Olympic and Paralympic ideals, and is an inspiration for future generations.

— chris stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump triangulates early," 9 Mar. 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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