idealism

noun

Definition of idealismnext
as in optimism
the attitude of a person who believes that it is possible to live according to very high standards of behavior and honesty youthful idealism romantic idealism

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of idealism Wilson believes that’s a myopic way to view his idealism. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026 Balance idealism and expectation while Venus moves between Neptune and Pluto. — Usa Today, USA Today, 17 June 2026 Critically, roughly 70% of the increase in clean-energy spending over the past five years has come from net importers of fossil fuels — nations motivated not by climate idealism but by energy security. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 June 2026 Then there’s the return of Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy’s Cold War hero, which suggests there is a global audience eager for old-fashioned All-American valor and idealism. — Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for idealism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealism
  1. optimism
  2. carelessness
  3. frankness
  4. simpleness
  5. childishness
  6. impracticality
  7. sincerity
  8. ingenuousness
Noun
  • Reach out to a teammate about travel plans or a community event, because purpose fires your optimism and keeps everyone moving together.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Oil prices tumbled at the start of the week on optimism that a deal to reopen the strait could be imminent.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of optimism
Noun
  • It gets filed alongside carelessness, disorganization and not really trying, and the people who display it often apologize for it as though they’d been caught slacking.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Either this is an issue of carelessness or a lack of communication between you and the cleaning service.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of carelessness
Noun
  • Seydoux asks me in a moment of frankness.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • Her love for the city is palpable, imbued with her frankness, her fun, her queerness, and her history.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of frankness
Noun
  • The simpleness of the look really allowed the Crocs to stand out and make an impression.
    — Tara Larson, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Definition of simpleness
Noun
  • Lonnie is a Ferrell-ian blend of narcissism and good-natured childishness, but of the wishy-washiest type.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • The childishness of his expressions infantilized a genuinely vicious regime, painting it as more peevish than petrifying.
    — Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of childishness
Noun
  • That points to the shortsightedness and impracticality of such a bargaining strategy.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • On the ceiling, a suede Scalamandré wallcovering delivers the sensory impact of leather—without the impracticality.
    — Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of impracticality
Noun
  • But perhaps the performance that lingers most in our minds is that of Elliot Page, 39, who in just a few short scenes anchors the film with his guileless sincerity and righteous anger.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 July 2026
  • In a testament to that sincerity, Neil Young had the Stop Shopping Choir open for him on his 2024 tour.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of sincerity
Noun
  • What was once a poignant effort to extend a state of ingenuousness is now tainted from the start.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of ingenuousness

Browse Nearby Words

ideal
idealism
idealist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Idealism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealism. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on idealism

Nglish: Translation of idealism for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about idealism

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All