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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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.
“Zscaler is ideally positioned as the cybersecurity platform for the AI era,” said CEO Jay Chaudhry.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
I love watching comedians navigate that impossible little tightrope between structure and chaos: character work, timing, escalation, commitment and, ideally, a killer ending.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
The PMB ballot is the best way a backbench MP can hope to bring forward a new law by winning cross-party support for a cause or, ideally, having the bill adopted by the government.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
That would mean some moderation in energy markets, easing inflation expectations and, ideally, lower interest rates, he said.
From MarketWatch • May 16, 2026
“I used to know when the baboons were planning to raid the fields. So you see, we were ideally suited to become detectives.”
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
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.
