ide·al·ist
ī-ˈdē-(ə-)list 
ˈī-(ˌ)dē-
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
Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
While Sophie has a pragmatic approach to life, she’s complemented by Benedict, a dreamy idealist.
—Kat Moon, Time, 29 Jan. 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
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Noun
Gorton skillfully depicts the grueling decades-long struggle of Sanger (the icon, in this telling) and Dennett (the idealist) to make birth control available and legal, as well as their interpersonal competition for power and influence.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
While Sophie has a pragmatic approach to life, she’s complemented by Benedict, a dreamy idealist.
—Kat Moon, Time, 29 Jan. 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 1 Apr. 2026.
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