idealistic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- anti-idealistic adjective
- anti-idealistically adverb
- hyperidealistic adjective
- hyperidealistically adverb
- idealistically adverb
- nonidealistic adjective
- nonidealistically adverb
- overidealistic adjective
- quasi-idealistic adjective
- quasi-idealistically adverb
- unidealistic adjective
- unidealistically adverb
Etymology
Origin of idealistic
Explanation
When you're idealistic, you dream of perfection, whether in yourself or other people. For example, you might have the idealistic goal of bringing an end to childhood poverty in the world. The adjective idealistic describes someone whose plans or goals of helping others are lofty, grand, and possibly unrealistic. Do you think world peace is within reach? You're idealistic. If your vision of the world is idealistic, you believe all problems can be solved and that all people can reach their full potential. Idealistic comes from the Greek idea, or "ideal prototype."
Vocabulary lists containing idealistic
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Which is certainly an admirable approach, albeit a rather idealistic strategy in a state of nearly 23 million voters, spread over roughly 800 miles from north to south.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026
Suttasitt "Macky" Pottasak is a typical candidate of Thailand's People's Party: young, idealistic and hardworking.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
Forty years ago, Grisham was a lawyer and state legislator in Mississippi with an idea for a story about a racially charged murder trial, seen through the eyes of a young, idealistic attorney like himself.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Jim, young and idealistic, is chief mate on a steamer carrying 800 pilgrims from Singapore to Mecca.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
An idealistic, melancholic Englishman named Maurice Wilson had not been so fortunate when he’d attempted a similarly reckless ascent thirteen years before Denman.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
