IDEALIZATION Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

idealization

noun

Definition of idealization

as in romanticization

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 idealization The resurrection of ingredients was in service of flavor, not some false antebellum idealization. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 The film is admirably committed to documenting this lifestyle without much idealization or condemnation. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 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

For Tokyoites, meanwhile—especially those of an Anglophile persuasion, given Japan’s long-standing reverence for British tailoring, subcultures, and craft—the appeal lay in the opposite direction.

— Liam Hess, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2026
Twisted Teens’ most compelling quality might be the fact that their obvious reverence for rock’n’roll history still leaves plenty of room for mystery, and the intrigue deepens on The Holy Cross Tigers, the group’s third full-length of 2026.

— Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of reverence

Noun

Clay/Ali remains one of the most indelible personalities of the 20th century, a man whose every public utterance and movement have become the subject of adoration and imitation.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
His face appearing on the big screen was naturally greeted by cheers of adoration from the stands and would normally have been a pure reason to smile.

— Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of adoration

Noun

Neither maudlin nor melodramatic, and without any glorification, the song is infected by the same chilling gloom which has glommed onto the best of Messrs Linkous, Berman, and Drake.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
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

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

Legislative deference to the executive in times of war is not unique to Trump’s second term, but Congress should close loopholes that allow presidents to expand their power unchecked.

— Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
Across more than a dozen votes forced by Democrats to rein in the president's war powers, the vast majority of the GOP conference has remained united in opposition, granting the president wide deference in steering the conflict.

— Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of deference

Noun

Beige is a bit too basic for our liking, whereas camel brings cozy warmth and chic sophistication with its golden-brown undertones.

— InStyle, InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026
Anyone who’s had a game console and played Madden has arranged depth charts to their liking and made game-management decisions to feel like a head coach.

— Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of liking

Browse Nearby Words

idealists

idealization

idealizations

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Idealization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealization. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of idealization

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

impertinent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes