ideally

adverb

ide·al·ly | \ī-ˈdē-ə-lē,

-ˈdē(-ə)l-lē\

Definition of ideally

1 : in idea or imagination : mentally

2 : in relation to an exemplar

3a : conformably to or in respect to an ideal : perfectly

b : for best results ideally, the counselor should vary his techniques for each applicant— T. M. Martinez

c : in accordance with an ideal or typical standard : classically

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about ideally

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Examples of ideally in a Sentence

His skills made him ideally suited for the job. They were ideally suited to one another. The ski slope was situated ideally.

Recent Examples on the Web

And, ideally, states would do this before a major election year. — German Lopez, Vox, "Why voting machines malfunctioned on Election Day," 7 Nov. 2018 Even with console-like specs, the idea of playing a game like Forza on an iPad Pro instead of a home console, ideally on a large TV with a decent sound system, is peculiar. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "The iPad Pro isn’t an Xbox competitor, even with console-like specs," 31 Oct. 2018 The latest American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines state that your first visit (ideally between the ages of 13 and 15) should simply entail a lot of talking…and a little bit of looking. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "13 Things No One Tells You About Your First Gyno Visit," 13 Sep. 2018 As anyone who follows her on Instagram knows, Busy Philipps is an avid exerciser, hitting her favorite workout class LEKfit as much as possible — ideally seven days a week. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Busy Philipps Works Out 7 Days a Week but Stopped Weighing Herself: 'It Was Giving Me Anxiety'," 14 June 2018 Wings in today's NBA ideally can get 20 points per game and defend the position. — J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, "The cases for Pacers retaining or moving on from small forward Bojan Bogdanovic," 26 June 2018 Martin says ideally within two weeks after the wedding, noting that the sooner to the date of receiving the gift the better. — Birmingham Magazine, AL.com, "How to write the perfect wedding thank-you note," 14 Mar. 2018 Crack all 12 eggs into a large bowl (ideally with a pour spout). — Ashleigh Spitza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Picky, picky: Strategies to get your kids (or yourself) to try new foods," 11 June 2018 When the timer goes off, get up from your desk and walk briskly outside or around the office for, ideally, 10 minutes. — Mike Candelaria, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Got 5 minutes? You have time to exercise," 11 July 2018

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