idealism
noun
ide·al·ism
ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌliz-əm 
ˈī-(ˌ)dē-
1
a
: the practice of forming ideals or living under their influence
Slowly, a distinctive blue-collar counterculture emerged; it was harsher, more anarchic. … There was none of the philosophical posturing, little of the youthful idealism.—
Joe Klein
Joe Klein
b
: something that is idealized
… the real enemy of chivalric love, with its idealisms and quixotic denials … is permissiveness …—Cleanth Brooks
Cleanth Brooks2
philosophy
a(1)
: a theory that ultimate reality lies in a realm transcending phenomena
(2)
: a theory that the essential nature of reality lies in consciousness or reason
b(1)
: a theory that only the perceptible is real
(2)
: a theory that only mental states or entities are knowable
3
: literary or artistic theory or practice that affirms the preeminent value of imagination as compared with faithful copying of nature compare realism
Examples of idealism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since the time of Locke, empiricism has been closely linked with political liberalism, whereas romantic idealism is associated with rather darker political forces.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
The idealism of youth sports has been replaced by America’s preference for capitalism.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
In his experiences and chronicles of the great ideological battles of the twentieth century, Curzio Malaparte was a shape-shifter—pitiless, clinical, cynical, unsentimental, indifferent to morality and idealism.
—Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026
Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s Master, tracing the rise of a teacher drawn into local politics in Bangladesh and moving from idealism to authoritarian impulses, won the Big Screen Competition.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealism
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Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
The idealism of youth sports has been replaced by America’s preference for capitalism.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2026
In his experiences and chronicles of the great ideological battles of the twentieth century, Curzio Malaparte was a shape-shifter—pitiless, clinical, cynical, unsentimental, indifferent to morality and idealism.
—Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026
Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s Master, tracing the rise of a teacher drawn into local politics in Bangladesh and moving from idealism to authoritarian impulses, won the Big Screen Competition.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealism
Cite this Entry
“Idealism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idealism. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idealism
noun
ide·al·ism
ī-ˈdē-(ə-)ˌliz-əm
ˈī-(ˌ)dē-
: the practice of forming ideals or living under their influence
idealist
noun
-(ə-)ləst
idealistic
adjective
(ˌ)ī-ˌdē-(ə-)ˈlis-tik,
ˌī-dē-
idealistically
adverb
-ti-k(ə-)lē
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