as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
idealistic pacifists who thought that tyranny could be toppled by rational argument and mutual understanding
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Recent Examples of idealistic
Tom Steyer is too focused on bringing about idealistic policy outcomes to be sensitive to the worldly conditions that will make their implementation detrimental.
—
Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Sandra Oh’s Ji-Yoon Kim is frazzled, idealistic, and inclined to compromise as her stock rises at the university.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Les' idealistic vision is to use this breakthrough for the good of humanity.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Of funny, idealistic, scary-smart workaholics — coming up on three generations of them — who want to make things better by making things better.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealistic
Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Sandra Oh’s Ji-Yoon Kim is frazzled, idealistic, and inclined to compromise as her stock rises at the university.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Les' idealistic vision is to use this breakthrough for the good of humanity.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Of funny, idealistic, scary-smart workaholics — coming up on three generations of them — who want to make things better by making things better.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealistic
Adjective
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Guests can also book romantic dinners in the beachside cabanas at sunset with their toes in the soft, powdery sand.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 May 2026
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The lace inset details add a romantic touch, and the body-skimming midi cut works nicely in a more formal setting.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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Scientists typically test candidates one by one, making large-scale discovery impractical.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
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And it’s set in a snowy wintertime, which would have been impractical and expensive in live action, but pays all kinds of benefits in terms of staging and mood.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Sagittarius is an idealist sign that can totally relate to this tale of enduring relationships.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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The contact with and dependence on such support arguably also bolstered art’s worldliness and acted as an antidote to the petit bourgeois affinity for idealist mystification.—
Diedrich Diederichsen,
Artforum,
1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott, was a Transcendentalist and a utopian dreamer whose grand plans left him unable to provide for his wife and children.—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
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After the war, the two of them set about establishing a utopian farming colony, based on equality and reclaiming the land for common use.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idealistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealistic. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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