ideally

American  

[ahy-dee-uh-lee] / aɪˈdi ə li /

adverb

1. in accordance with an ideal; perfectly.

2. in an ideal world; in principle; theoretically.

3. in idea, thought, or imagination.

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Etymology

Origin of ideally

First recorded in 1590–1600; ideal + -ly

Explanation

Use the adverb ideally to mean "perfectly" or "preferably." Ideally, you would always be ideally positioned to get a clear view of the parade going by — and not stuck behind a tall man in a top hat. You can start a sentence off with this word to convey the idea of "in a perfect world." For example, you might say, "Ideally, I'd be able to sleep in until at least ten every morning." The other way to use it is as a synonym for "perfectly," as in "My cat and I are ideally suited for each other" or "The vanilla ice cream complemented my apple pie."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ideally

You’d need to carefully research where you want to live, and ideally, “test-drive” the location during both peak and off-peak seasons.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Leah McNally, the trust's CEO, said the "ideally placed farm" will be a "beacon for nature's recovery and climate adaptation".

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Voters can also help speed up the election count, the report said, by voting in person or returning vote-by-mail ballots earlier — ideally the Saturday before the election.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Atomic weapons are an extinction-level threat, so you’d ideally want a steady hand guiding U.S. nuclear policy.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

I’d need a third and, ideally, a fourth branch to make the nest stable.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Related Words

• appealingly
• attractively
• charmingly
• delightfully
• elegantly
• exquisitely
• gorgeously
• gracefully
• handsomely
• magnificently
• seductively
• splendidly
• sublimely
• superbly
• tastefully
• wonderfully