1
as in model
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
she is the beau ideal of the dedicated medical professional
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2
as in ideal
the most perfect type or example
Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous architectural creation, Falling Water, is widely regarded as the beau ideal of a building in harmony with its setting
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Recent Examples of beau ideal
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech.
—
Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
Male dictators are Trump’s beau ideal of an admirable world leader.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 24 Jan. 2018
There was a time when the beau ideal was to drive your sports car to the track, paint numbers on it, go racing and then drive home.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 July 2017
Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
Male dictators are Trump’s beau ideal of an admirable world leader.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 24 Jan. 2018
There was a time when the beau ideal was to drive your sports car to the track, paint numbers on it, go racing and then drive home.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beau ideal
Noun
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The tiered model approach allows developers to select the appropriate balance between performance and cost, with GPT-4.1 Nano being ideal for tasks like classification or autocompletion, and the standard GPT-4.1 model suited for more complex applications.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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The model aims to help students live and learn together—making everyone feel welcome, and also helping students navigate the conflicts that inevitably arise in a community where people have different world views.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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On May 2, Venus will join Neptune in Aries, adding a dreamy, almost ethereal quality to your love life — try not to get swept up in ideals and fantasies.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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For many, financial security is becoming more important than aligning every purchase with environmental ideals.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The basic idea is to start with something large and compact it down for easy transport.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Apr. 2025
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Deporting supposed gang members and Hamas supporters without due process may violate any number of statutes, but forcing oppositionists to defend these people’s rights allows the administration to paint them as defending their ideas.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This is a club, as the Joy Division classic goes, that is meant to fall apart when Easter arrives.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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Glenn’s silver-screen legacy includes small parts in genuine classics like Nashville (1975) and Apocalypse Now (1979) to major roles in The Right Stuff (1983), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007).—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Pope Francis took his name from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
21 Apr. 2025
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That's not surprising for a pontiff who was the first to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology.—
Jeff Brady,
NPR,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Financial literacy starts with curiosity, not perfection.—
Ruhama Wolle,
Glamour,
18 Apr. 2025
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Obsessive compulsive disorder causes people to fixate on consistency or perfection.—
Heidi Moawad, MD,
Verywell Health,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In Southern California, for example, the 50501 spokesman says food drives are planned to support people who continue to struggle in the wake of the January wildfires as well as those who may be affected by the rising price of goods amid President Trump's tariffs.—
Emma Bowman,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2025
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Visitors can double as such, by picking up trash, for example, and otherwise looking out for the environment at the parks.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The tilt of recent immigration toward higher skilled workers from Asia is another manifestation of this same pattern.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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But the truly painful manifestation of distaste for Musk has been entirely legal, as consumers have shunned his cars.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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