ideally

adverb

ide·​al·​ly ī-ˈdē-ə-lē 

-ˈdē(-ə)l-lē

1

a

: conformably to or in respect to an ideal : perfectly

He would have liked to live in a world of ideally united couples, himself ideally united …

—P. G. Wodehouse

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

2

: in relation to an exemplar

3

: in idea or imagination : mentally

… was afraid of the gallows. She was terrified of them ideally. Having never set eyes on that last argument of men's justice …

—Joseph Conrad

Synonyms of ideally

• perfectly
• immaculately

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

Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, a senior fellow with the Middle East Institute, said that ideally an international force would have begun operating the moment the ceasefire went into effect in early October. —Eugenia Yosef, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025

It's made ideally for small and medium sized pets. —Jessica Moore, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025

The shower is best viewed between midnight and dawn, ideally in a place well away from city and street lights. —Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Those with serious illnesses who go to the doctor frequently would be best suited by buying a good health insurance plan with a broad network of doctors and, ideally, a lower deductible, McClanahan said. —Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for ideally

• kiswahili
• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• intraperitoneally
• lapilli
• swahili

Kids Definition

ideally

adverb

ide·​al·​ly ī-ˈdē-ə-lē 

-ˈdē(-ə)l-lē

1

: in agreement with an ideal : perfectly

ideally suited to the job

2

: for best results

ideally, each student should arrive early