ide·al·ist
ī-ˈdē-(ə-)list 
ˈī-(ˌ)dē-
1
: one guided by ideals
especially
: one that places ideals before practical considerations
a mix of idealists and realists
2
a
: an adherent of a philosophical theory of idealism
b
: an artist or author who advocates or practices idealism in art or writing
Examples of idealist in a Sentence
Noun
an idealist sees the best in everyone, regardless of how they behave
Adjective
an idealist attempt to make a go of a mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street
Recent Examples on the Web
Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Independent bookselling, rarely a way to get rich, is a meeting ground for idealists — for young people with a sense of mission, retirees embarking on a new life or middle-aged people no longer satisfied with their careers.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The contact with and dependence on such support arguably also bolstered art’s worldliness and acted as an antidote to the petit bourgeois affinity for idealist mystification.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
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Noun
Josh, who wants to be an investigative journalist, is an idealist in a PBS T-shirt (and with a PBS tote bag) who gets by on family money and is incapable of taking care of himself in any practical way.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Independent bookselling, rarely a way to get rich, is a meeting ground for idealists — for young people with a sense of mission, retirees embarking on a new life or middle-aged people no longer satisfied with their careers.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Adjective
Sagittarius is an idealist sign that can totally relate to this tale of enduring relationships.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The contact with and dependence on such support arguably also bolstered art’s worldliness and acted as an antidote to the petit bourgeois affinity for idealist mystification.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
Cite this Entry
“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idealist. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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