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

With a mutually agreed upon price agreement, Cash to Win lists the home through the home sellers’ real estate agent, ideally at fair market value. —Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026

When stopping by the roadside is your only option, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails. —Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026

Stand on edge, heels dangling, ideally barefoot. —Gretchen Reynolds, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026

The transition to the new payroll system, which will pay employees twice a month and ideally eliminate the potential for annoying overpayments, is still a couple of years out. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026

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