idealization
Americannoun
-
the act or process of idealizing something.
-
Psychoanalysis. a mental mechanism, operating consciously or unconsciously, in which one person overestimates an admired attribute of another.
noun
-
the representation of something as ideal
-
a conception of something that dwells on its advantages and ignores its deficiencies
-
a general theoretical account of natural phenomena that ignores features that are difficult to accommodate within a theory
Etymology
Origin of idealization
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.
Clare, too, receives frequent rhapsodic praise, but even accounting for the narrator’s grief-induced idealization, their relationship strikes me as too perfect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Their cultish idealization of him is an addictive drug.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2024
The film’s idealization of a pared-down life might feel dated, but its do-something message is one that never goes out of style.
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2022
Whether it’s because they harmonize adoring idealization with the shapes and textures of real women or because of Modigliani’s almost uncanny ability to evoke actual sensation, I can’t say.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2022
Its idealization of character, its revelation of beauty and power even in distress and downfall, may bring a reassurance that turns pity to exhilaration.
From Tragedy by Ashley H. Thorndike
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
