idealistic

ide·al·is·tic | \ (ˌ)ī-ˌdē-(ə-)ˈli-stik

How to pronounce idealistic (audio)

, ˌī-dē- \

Definition of idealistic

: of or relating to idealists or idealism

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Examples of idealistic in a Sentence

idealistic pacifists who thought that tyranny could be toppled by rational argument and mutual understanding

Recent Examples on the Web On the phone with STAT, Chan spoke in earnest and idealistic terms. — Rebecca Robbins, STAT, "Priscilla Chan charts an ambitious, unglamorous course to fight disease. (Her husband is involved, too.)," 11 Feb. 2020 Technically, Ginger is talking about her dear friend, the ever-idealistic and impossibly talented Katy Keene, played by Pretty Little Liars mainstay Lucy Hale. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "Katy Keene Review: The World Is Stressful. This Is Your Sunny Little Oasis," 5 Feb. 2020 His role in the Sanders operation is something like the one that Rahm Emanuel once played in the young Barack Obama’s: the figure in an idealistic campaign who understands something about power. — Benjamin Wallace-wells, The New Yorker, "Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Front-Runner," 1 Feb. 2020 Considered from our vantage point, some fifty or more years later, Rokeach’s experiment may seem questionable, pointless, thoughtful, idealistic. — Rick Moody, The New York Review of Books, "‘Three Christs,’ Schizophrenia & Us," 12 Jan. 2020 When idealistic young lawyer Ransom Stoddard, played by James Stewart, arrives in town, he is determined to remove the menace posed by the brutal, murderous bandit Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) by putting him in jail. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "The Founding vs. The Old West in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," 25 Nov. 2019 The idealistic, socially conscious, under-30 city-dweller is far more likely to litter than the older one. — David Harsanyi, National Review, "Dump of a City," 5 Dec. 2019 Jones portrays a well-off widow named Amelia Wren, an idealistic, gifted yet fictional aeronaut who’d rather hover on the edge of the atmosphere than adhere to the typical duties expected of the women of her era. — Tomris Laffly, chicagotribune.com, "'The Aeronauts’ review: 'The Theory of Everything’ co-stars Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones reteam for some quality time in the sky," 2 Dec. 2019 Democrats in these states are looking for a nominee who is practical over one that is idealistic. — CBS News, "CBS News Battleground Tracker: Biden has edge in Super Tuesday states, Bloomberg in 5th," 15 Dec. 2019

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

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Last Updated

17 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Idealistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idealistic. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

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