IDEALISM Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

idealism

noun

Definition of idealism

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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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 But that, of course, is not usually, or even often, the actual case, and as her idealism falls by the wayside, the use of violence in pursuit of justice begins to make sense to her. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 6 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for idealism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealism

Noun

Equity markets have also largely shrugged off the potential ramifications of the conflict, with global stocks seeing a broad rally this year as corporate earnings optimism outweighed concerns about the war's implications for the world economy.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Fans, artists, and leaders across all industries are mourning the star whose relentless optimism, grace, and resilience was a shining light.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 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

As for the universality of her hypnotic, soulful sound and her dynamic, jazzy mezzo-soprano voice, Kidjo’s singing in five languages (Fon, French, Yorùbá, Gen-Mina and English) has forever been key to the funk, its frankness and her grace.

— A.D. Amorosi, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Hayden Panettiere, the child actor who rose to stardom in television and also spoke with raw frankness about her struggles with fame and mental health, died Sunday, according to her family.

— Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of frankness

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

There’s a tonal tug-of-war in this movie between naughtiness and aching sincerity.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 18 Aug. 2026
Mitchell’s own imitation of Spielbergian life, despite its meticulous re-creation (and gleeful destruction) of eighties suburbia, stumbles into an uncanny valley between sincerity and cynicism, between unintentional comedy and deliberate homage.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of sincerity

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“Idealism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealism. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of idealism

noun

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