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

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 True, Francesca Hong hates America, Thanksgiving and most national holidays, and is anti-Israel and anything slanted to the true American ideals that made our country great. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 Sasa takes on a rape case that strikes close to home, while his friend Kalle defends a client in a gang trial that tests his ideals. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Yet as the hippie movement rejected mainstream political ideals, the counterculture was also exemplified through food. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026 And the Nazis themselves had pan-European ideals, albeit under the firm rule of the Herrenvolk. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 If such a future comes to fruition, Swope added, his hope is that such extraterrestrial colonies would be governed by rules reminiscent of Western ideals and democratic principles. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 Casting Gen Z’s reactions as nihilistic obscures the values and institutional distrust connected to them and fails to appreciate their egalitarian and pragmatic ideals. — Evan Clarkson, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026 Since the late 2010s, this pressure has been inescapably amplified by algorithms, nudging celebrities, influencers, and the people who follow them toward similar aesthetic ideals. — Jaimie Potters, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026 According to the New York Times on Sunday, that drive to capitulate lays bare a firm was caught between its progressive ideals and the business demand for corporate practice. — Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 2 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideals
  1. ideas
  2. perfections
  3. goals
  4. models
  5. classics
  6. purposes
  7. examples
  8. manifestations
Noun
  • Plenty of strong ideas were presented — then rejected — the last time a speaker faced a scandal.
    — David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Other ideas, including paid on-street parking, were also discussed.
    — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of ideas
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
Definition of perfections
Noun
  • Another to watch out for is Deportivo’s Yeremay Hernandez, 23, a wide attacker stepping up to the top flight after 27 goals and 18 assists in 86 second-division games.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Your goals can hold more joy with the right adjustment.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of goals
Noun
  • That has made download and derivative-model figures one measure of influence in the US-China AI race, as Chinese developers including Alibaba push capable models that are relatively cheap and easy to adapt.
    — Saritha Rai, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Their mutual admiration began in 2018 when their wives — former models who went on to have successful business careers — became friends.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of models
Noun
  • Harvey is a married father of two who grew up in London and studied the classics at Oxford.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Despite this tumult, the decade produced countless films of enduring artistic and commercial significance, including these eight memorable classics.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of classics
Noun
  • If approved, the legislation would extend exemptions to class cars built between 1976 and 1985 that are used primarily for exhibition purposes and have limited use on public roadways.
    — Darrielle Fair, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Warner said Idaho Public Archaeology, which has had around 400 volunteers and 5,000 visitors to various projects over the years, serves multiple purposes.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of purposes
Noun
  • While not every meet-cute on set grows into something real, there have been plenty of examples of A-list co-workers entering into successful relationships.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Seven examples were recently collected from Pacific waters 2 to 3 miles deep near the Cook Islands, and the teeth were as big as 5 inches in length, NOAA Ocean Exploration noted in a news release.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of examples
Noun
  • Although there is no moral equivalence between the two, both are manifestations of the same problem.
    — Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The manifestations go beyond the growing equity control of businesses.
    — James K. Glassman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of manifestations

Browse Nearby Words

ideally
ideals
ideas
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ideals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideals. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ideals

Nglish: Translation of ideals for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All