ideal

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

Updated on: 21 May 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

The ideal spot receives morning sun and afternoon shade.

— tom maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Hydrangeas need special handling," 17 May 2018
The course is built on a landfill in a not-great area with remote parking, but Augusta National is also in a neighborhood that is less than ideal.

— mac engel, star-telegram, "New course won't keep fans from the Nelson, but this will | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 16 May 2018
Many houseplants thrive in low to moderate light and warm, high humidity environments, making the bathroom the ideal spot in our homes for them.

— maria cassano, Allure, "7 Air-Purifying Shower Plants That Keep Your Bathroom Fresh," 16 May 2018
Memphis also could be an ideal landing spot for Jackson, who can play next to former all-star center Marc Gasol.

— cleveland.com, "NBA Mock Draft 2018: Phoenix Suns primed for Deandre Ayton, plus Cavs' options," 15 May 2018
But even if female contraceptives were universally available, leaving men out of the responsibility for family planning is less than ideal.

— régine sitruk-ware, STAT, "Getting contraceptives for men to the market will take pharma’s help," 11 May 2018
Despite some improvements to Pizza’s living situation, Li says, the aquarium is far from ideal.

— National Geographic, "Nearly Two Years Later, ‘World’s Saddest Polar Bear’ No Longer Sad?," 11 May 2018
IndyCar officials are the first to admit the 0.7 is less than ideal.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Entering Year 5, can IndyCar Grand Prix be considered a success?," 8 May 2018
With temperate summers and moderate winters, Asheville is an ideal spot to come and enjoy at any time of the year.

— michael boyce, USA TODAY, "Come experience the perfect day in Asheville, North Carolina!," 7 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

The state’s Assembly has long been a bulwark of liberal ideals.

— danny hakim, BostonGlobe.com, "New York attorney general seeks power to bypass presidential pardons," 18 Apr. 2018
And Maddon was right, an opinion that surely weighed heavily when considering whether to play Sunday and Monday in the midst of weather ideal for the Iditarod.

— david haugh, chicagotribune.com, "Mother Nature must really hate baseball, America's national frost time," 16 Apr. 2018
To be a Kajol was to be at odds with the popular notion of Western beauty ideals (beauty despite, rather than beauty itself).

— tasnim ahmed, Allure, "The Importance of Rejecting Beauty Standards That Reject My Brownness," 27 Mar. 2018
Although the exterior's simplicity and ornamentation mirror Prairie School features, people entering the house see little of Wright's ideals, except his emphasis on indoor-outdoor living.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "Washington Park Maegly mansion sells for $3 million (photos)," 21 Feb. 2018
This mango toast with hazelnut-pepita butter requires a variety of accoutrement ideal for such a thing.

— zoë sessums, Bon Appetit, "4 Ceramic Dishes We're Putting Everything in Right Now," 8 Feb. 2018
His shot, once airborne, traces the arc of the ideal.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Even As His Wizards Flatline, Bradley Beal's Star Rises," 31 Jan. 2018
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

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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