ideal

1 dealing with or expressing a quality or idea honesty is an ideal entity that has more admirers than practitioners Synonyms conceptual, abstract, ideational, metaphysical, notional, theoretical (also theoretic)Related Words conjectural, hypothetical, speculative; cosmic (also cosmical), intellectual, mental, spiritual; ethereal, immaterial, incorporeal, insubstantial, nonmaterial, nonphysical, unsubstantial; impalpable, imperceptible, insensible, intangible, invisible; impractical, romantic, transcendent, transcendental, unreal, utopian, visionaryNear Antonyms material, physical; appreciable, detectable, discernible (also discernable), noticeable, observable, palpable, perceptible, sensible, substantial, tangible, visible; defined, definite, distinct; actual, factual, realAntonyms concrete, nonabstract

2 not real and existing only in the imagination depicts an ideal society in which conflict and privation are unknown Synonyms chimerical (also chimeric), fabulous, fanciful, fantasied, fantastic (also fantastical), fictional, fictitious, imaginary, imaginal, imagined, invented, made-up, make-believe, mythical (or mythic), notional, phantasmal, phantasmic, phantom, pretend, unreal, visonaryRelated Words fabled, legendary, romantic; abstract, hypothetical, theoretical (also theoretic); unbelievable, unconvincing, unlikely; conceived, envisaged, envisioned, pictured, visualized; daydreamlike, deceptive, delusional, delusive, hallucinatory, illusory, phantasmagoric (or phantasmagorical); concocted, fabricated, feigned, fictive; inexistent, nonexistentNear Antonyms authentic, genuine, true; factual, verifiable, verified; believable, convincing, realistic; corporeal, material, physical, solid, substantial; palpable, tangibleAntonyms actual, existent, existing, real

3 being entirely without fault or flaw for years she's been searching for a man who would make an ideal husband, and she's still looking Synonyms absolute, faultless, flawless, perfect, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible, irreproachable, letter-perfect, picture-book, picture-perfect, seamless, unblemishedRelated Words consummate, expert, masterly; classic, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous (or marvellous), prime, superb, superior, superlative, terrific, top, top-notch, unsurpassed; completed, finished, perfected, polished; complete, entire, intact, whole; mint, unbruised, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, unspoiled; exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special; airtight, bulletproof; accurate, correct, exact, precise; inerrant, infallible, unerring, unfailingNear Antonyms deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting; unfinished, unpolished; fallible; blemished, blighted, broken, damaged, defaced, disfigured, impaired, injured, malformed, marred, misshapen, spoiled, vitiated; atrocious, execrable, wretched; imprecise, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, wrongAntonyms amiss, bad, censurable, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, reproachable