IDEALIZATION Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

idealization

noun

Definition of idealization

as in romanticization

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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 idealization How to critique technological solutionism without embracing rural idealization and nostalgia of the kind entangled with nationalism and völkisch thought? — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 Neptune, on the other hand, is the planet of dreams, illusions, spirituality, idealization, confusion and surrender. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 Whether that’s true or just an idealization is beside the point; such stories serve as an enormous source of pride and identity. — IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026 The student had an extensive social media presence that showed an idealization of other school shooters and an affinity for antisemitic and Nazi ideologies. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026 Officials censored, revised, and rewrote theater repertoire to remove any idealization of the pre-revolutionary past and add content that glorified Soviet rule. — Yegor Mostovshikov, The Dial, 9 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealization

Noun

His signature fusion of gore and glamor has caught him some flak over the years, most prominently around the romanticization of harrowing true crime events.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
It is characterized by a romanticization of traditional elite academia, references to classic literature, and a mysterious atmosphere.

— Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026

Definition of romanticization

Noun

Out of that reverence for the group’s music, Peña noted that all the Smiths covers will be performed only in English.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
What makes Italian culture genuinely unique is not a passive reverence for history, but a remarkable ability to constantly renegotiate that heritage in the service of the future.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of reverence

Noun

And yet, when Szumowska and Englert portray Fyodor’s reaction to the couple’s pregnancy, the birth of their child, and a subsequent tragedy, Anna’s adoration for this utterly flawed man almost feels justified.

— Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
So, too, do the antics of his estate manager (a buoyant Sam Adegoke), always concocting money-making schemes, and the wide-eyed adoration of the girl next door (Amelia Mason, deftly balancing naïveté with seductiveness), who wants to save him.

— Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

Grande became the face of an ongoing conversation around health, and the cultural pendulum swing away from body positivity to the glorification of thinness, ignited by the proliferation of weight-loss drugs.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
Declinism, on the other hand, is an unrealistic glorification of the past coupled with the belief that things are steadily going downhill.

— Markham Heid, Time, 8 July 2026

Definition of glorification

Noun

Self, who was born in Harlem in 1990 and lives and works in New York, described her as being representative of the city’s spirit, rather than as a specific figure of veneration.

— News Desk, Artforum, 10 Sep. 2026
This, to him, seemed an image of Our Lady and her veneration.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of veneration

Noun

Some took that disavowal not as deference but jujitsu, or a form of political psy-ops directed at the governor’s longtime frenemy.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Under the measure, judges would have to largely give deference to a government agency’s decision to approve a project, provided the agency can show that decision was supported by substantial evidence.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of deference

Noun

Content creator Josh Lora, also known as @tellthebees, posted on TikTok that people are trying to rewrite the reality of professionalism to their liking—and that those who bring coffee into an interview won’t get the job.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
Through circumstance and timing, DeSantis has used appointments to drastically shape Florida politics — and its judiciary — to his liking, gifting allies the levers of power and the benefit of incumbency.

— Zoe Millán, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of liking

Browse Nearby Words

idealists

idealization

idealizations

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“Idealization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealization. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of idealization

noun

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