1
as in model
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
she is the beau ideal of the dedicated medical professional
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2
as in ideal
the most perfect type or example
Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous architectural creation, Falling Water, is widely regarded as the beau ideal of a building in harmony with its setting
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Recent Examples of beau ideal
For those who’ve forgotten, celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti was seen for a time as the Democratic beau ideal, a brawler who could get under Trump’s skin and take the fight to the president like few others could or would.
—
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beau ideal
Noun
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That insight helps teams validate digital models earlier in development.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The other new entries are DSquared2 (which featured a hot celebrity) and Dolce & Gabbana (which generated heated controversy for its model casting).—
Luke Leitch,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Made of untreated cedar, the house has a 3-inch entrance hole and interior dimensions ideal for these larger birds.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
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The iCVD method supports scalable, continuous roll-to-roll processing, ideal for commercial-scale output.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That requires policymakers to distinguish between ideas that sound compassionate and policies that work.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
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Felipe Munoz, an industry expert who runs the industry research platform Car Industry Analysis, likes the small car idea.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Simultaneously, her Uncle walks into Ho Jin’s house, waxing eloquent about his grandfather’s collection of classics.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Lady Gaga revisited a childhood classic for a new Super Bowl commercial.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Ceremony of the Sainte-Devote, which Princess Charlene attended alongside her husband Prince Albert II, commemorates Sainte Devote, who is the patron saint of the Principality of Monaco and France’s Mediterranean Corsica island.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The former is named for the patron saint of cooks and celebrates coastal Italian fare with a New Orleans tweak, to wit Chef Laura Collins’ Grilled Creole Oysters and Scampi Risotto.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This showstopper of a dessert mashes up the bold caffeinated flavors of classic tiramisu with the perfectly wobbly, creamy perfection of panna cotta.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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This reduces perfection pressure, increases psychological safety, and brings coworkers into the experimentation instead of waiting for a finished solution.—
Keith Ferrazzi,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Late on December 22, for example, mere hours after the shooting, detectives visited Barry and James, both of them still in the ER with conditions listed as critical, to record their official statements.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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For example, the recent announcement regarding a $200 billion MBS purchase helped push rates downward.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Consciously choosing the design of this polish, applying it calmly, and visualizing your wishes for the new year transforms the manicure into an act of self-care and manifestation.—
Andrea Carbajal,
Glamour,
6 Jan. 2026
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In the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church, Theophany, which the holiday is often called in Eastern countries, celebrates the manifestation of Jesus’ divinity in addition to his baptism, according to The Catholic Witness.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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