1
as in ideas
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
she's our ideal of the concerned, caring physician
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in perfections
the most perfect type or example
the Taj Mahal in India is generally regarded as the ideal of Mogul architectural beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
his ideal is to make enough money so that he can retire at 50
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ideals
Your 11th House of Friendship and Community lights up as the life-giving Sun encourages teamwork, networking, and honoring your ideals.
—
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
Religious ideals are deeply embedded in our government, and many of our policymakers make decisions based on their own personal convictions.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
The increasing integration of blockchain and the finance industry raises uncomfortable questions of whether crypto is betraying its founding ideals, which saw Bitcoin as a rebellion against the big bank and government control of the financial system.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
March 21 – April 19 Nourishing your ideals is crucial right now.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Chaillaux showed little regard for American Legion Resolution 407, which considers any individual whose actions violate the equal rights and opportunities of anyone on the basis of race, creed, color or class to be inconsistent with the ideals and purposes of the American Legion.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Our homes should be tailored to these different needs and ideals, and this Luxury Modern Tiny Home does just that.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
We sociologists infamously inculcate our innocent students with communist ideals.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
The Libertas Americana will play a small role in the lead-up to Sunday’s game, but for the tens of millions of people watching, Feingold hopes those few seconds will provide an opportunity to reflect on one of America’s founding ideals, personified in the figure on the front of the medal.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
Religious ideals are deeply embedded in our government, and many of our policymakers make decisions based on their own personal convictions.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
The increasing integration of blockchain and the finance industry raises uncomfortable questions of whether crypto is betraying its founding ideals, which saw Bitcoin as a rebellion against the big bank and government control of the financial system.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2026
March 21 – April 19 Nourishing your ideals is crucial right now.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Chaillaux showed little regard for American Legion Resolution 407, which considers any individual whose actions violate the equal rights and opportunities of anyone on the basis of race, creed, color or class to be inconsistent with the ideals and purposes of the American Legion.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Our homes should be tailored to these different needs and ideals, and this Luxury Modern Tiny Home does just that.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
We sociologists infamously inculcate our innocent students with communist ideals.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
The Libertas Americana will play a small role in the lead-up to Sunday’s game, but for the tens of millions of people watching, Feingold hopes those few seconds will provide an opportunity to reflect on one of America’s founding ideals, personified in the figure on the front of the medal.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideals
Noun
-
Calderon, Becerra and Mahan floated ideas like investing more state funds to increase child care providers’ wages for programs like Head Start, a federal early childhood care program.—
Lia Russell
Updated February 19,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Bateman said it’s been an education for him personally, chatting with these men over dinner and exchanging ideas.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The collection is built around a fascination of the forest, its mystery, beauty, and the sublime forces of nature, its perfections and imperfections.—
Felicity Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Democrats’ Biden-era goals of raising taxes on wealthy Americans and big companies to fund upgrades to health care, education, and clean energy were somewhat stifled by their 50-50 majority.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Kate Schneider’s hat trick with two goals led a well-balanced effort as Walpole used to down Ursuline 8-4.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That sparked fears that AI tools could eat into existing companies’ business models and customer bases.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Towers worry civil liberty advocates The most basic models of Anduril’s towers stand 33 feet tall and are equipped with video cameras and artificial intelligence software that can spot a person nearly two miles away and log a vehicle from even farther, according to the company’s website.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Spring colors are cozy, familiar classics that feel rich and special but couldn’t be easier to achieve.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Inside, a long mahogany counter glows beneath warm gold walls, where bartenders move with precision through a selection of classics and inventive cocktails built on bold spirits and house infusions.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
To remedy this, Wood recommends glass containers for storage purposes.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Here are some examples of how less information is coming out of federal public health agencies than in past administrations.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
These examples demonstrate that engaging and building community, whether within Blue Zones or beyond, are possible and fundamental to building healthier, more resilient populations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There are about 10 million cystic-fibrosis carriers in the United States alone, so if even a fraction of them have some degree of symptoms, that amounts to many people with manifestations of the disease.—
Roxanne Khamsi,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But on Monday, the French pharma firm reported that clinical trial results showed its experimental oral drug venglustat improved the neurological manifestations of what’s known as type 3 Gaucher disease, which can include poor muscle coordination and cognitive issues.—
Andrew Joseph,
STAT,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ideals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideals. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
