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
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Recent Examples of idealism
All the energy and idealism in that disillusioned age were on the right, as those bright young men in their supply-side neckties came flooding into Washington promising national renewal.
—
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Reflecting on the message at the core of his parents’ work, Sean described their legacy as rooted in more than idealism alone.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Repairing the Earth’s systems, from forests and soils to oceans and the atmosphere, is not environmental idealism.
—Sir David King, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The 2008 setting, which initially seems baffling, ends up being a pointed reference to the last moment when idealism could triumph in America.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealism
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Reflecting on the message at the core of his parents’ work, Sean described their legacy as rooted in more than idealism alone.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Repairing the Earth’s systems, from forests and soils to oceans and the atmosphere, is not environmental idealism.
—Sir David King, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
The 2008 setting, which initially seems baffling, ends up being a pointed reference to the last moment when idealism could triumph in America.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealism
Noun
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McCarthy expressed optimism about potentially getting another shot at coaching Rodgers.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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While the stock market continues to boom based on AI optimism, public polling about AI is typified by concern.—
Trevor Laurence Jockims,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Coach Sean Miller will focus on his team's carelessness with the ball at half; Texas has nine turnovers compared to two for Auburn.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
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The other was carelessness that led to Gonzalez’s clean look.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off those comments as an example of the president’s frankness.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
8 Dec. 2025
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Their frankness and loyalty are also notable when the call is in.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
23 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The simpleness of the look really allowed the Crocs to stand out and make an impression.—
Tara Larson,
Footwear News,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Cove, on West Houston Street, does not mark an especially obvious step into maturity or anything narratively pat like that, because McGarry’s cooking and his businesses have never really had so much as a hint of childishness to begin with.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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The gesture’s lack of dignity, its childishness, its pettiness, are completely in character.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bulky travel accessories are more likely to be left at home and gather dust in the closet due to their impracticality, but this hanging pouch will suffer no such fate.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Dec. 2025
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There was something freeing about opting into impracticality.—
Junnelle Hogen,
Outside,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There’s a sincerity to Spider-Man 3, combined with Raimi’s still deft understanding of Peter and Mary Jane’s relationship, that this film’s devotees point to in an attempt to reclaim it.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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Doerr was known as intellectually boundless and possessed a kind of charisma that was rooted in sincerity.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Gilbert’s colloquial style, once a source of great pleasure, has tipped into new territory—an ingenuousness that blends guru and disciple, mother and child.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idealism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealism. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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