ideally
AmericanEtymology
Origin of ideally
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."
Vocabulary lists containing ideally
Alice Austen Lived Here
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Popcorn
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The House Swap
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ideally, athletes competing at high altitude should spend a week or two living at that level in order to allow their body acclimatise and generate more red blood cells.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Ideally, an aging parent will enlist an estate-planning attorney to set up a marital trust and appoint a reliable trustee to carry out their wishes.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026
Ideally, the money goes to invest into grass roots development — but in many cases, there seems little to show for FIFA’s largesse.
From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026
Ideally, financial advisors develop relationships with clients several years before those clients’ employers conduct IPOs, because many private companies offer liquidity opportunities through tender offers.
From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026
Ideally, attacking players should fear the keeper, especially when they took the ball in to the goalie box.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
