Synonyms of ideals

ideals

noun

plural of ideal

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

• ideas
• models
• examples
• incarnations
• manifestations
• patron saints
• pinnacles
• paragons
• exemplars
• classics
• standards
• nonpareils
• principles
• beau ideals
• paradigms
• mirrors
• essences
• eidolons
• nonesuches
• guidelines
• phantoms
• role models
• personifications
• pinks
• archetypes
• touchstones
• rules
• embodiments
• epitomes
• culminations
• summits
• patterns
• zeniths
• gauges
• apexes
• peaks
• apotheoses
• acmes
• quintessences

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

• perfections
• classics
• manifestations
• models
• standards
• incarnations
• exemplars
• paradigms
• bywords
• epitomes
• beau ideals
• prototypes
• heights
• apotheoses
• zeniths
• acmes
• avatars
• archetypes
• benchmarks
• quintessences
• ultimates
• criteria
• incorporations
• paragons
• personifications
• abstracts
• touchstones
• last words
• meridians
• embodiments
• nonpareils
• yardsticks
• embodiers

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

• goals
• purposes
• plans
• ideas
• intentions
• objectives
• aims
• ambitions
• intents
• dreams
• objects
• aspirations
• things
• meanings
• pretensions
• designs
• targets
• points
• ends
• hopes
• projects
• desires
• marks
• wishes
• bournes
• minds
• schemes
• plots
• destinations
• holy grails
• grails
• nirvanas
• termini

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• methods
• means
• ways

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ideals

Literary scholars have since described the book as highly sanitized, based largely on the family’s adoring memories, and shaped by the social ideals of Victorian England. — Vogue, 10 Sep. 2026

Most often, socialism morphs into totalitarianism, as its egalitarian ideals are no match for human nature. — Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026

Poivre’s philosophy, merging Enlightenment ideals with an environmental sensibility and a commitment to ending slavery, had been the main movers in this case. — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Starting in the 1960s, at a time when women were largely limited to domestic roles, Steinem challenged gender stereotypes and championed feminist ideals like equality, sisterhood and reproductive freedom. — Juliana Kim, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026

Digital culture would prove especially receptive to these countercultural ideals. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2026

These artists’ monumental public works were tied to post-revolutionary ideals of education, social justice, and national identity. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Sep. 2026

But the dispute quickly escalated into a reputational crisis for the biennale, with artists from Taiwan and China condemning the name change as a betrayal of its founding ideals. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

During their reign in Hollywood’s Golden Age, their lives and cinematic work played out ideals about femininity and its expectations in American culture writ large. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026