1
as in theoretical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
honesty is an ideal entity that has more admirers than practitioners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in imaginary
not real and existing only in the imagination
depicts an ideal society in which conflict and privation are unknown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in perfect
being entirely without fault or flaw
for years she's been searching for a man who would make an ideal husband, and she's still looking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in idea
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
she's our ideal of the concerned, caring physician
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in classic
the most perfect type or example
the Taj Mahal in India is generally regarded as the ideal of Mogul architectural beauty
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3
as in purpose
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
his ideal is to make enough money so that he can retire at 50
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ideal
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Spring is one of my favorite times of year for several reasons, but the main one is that the season is the ideal excuse to invest in new sandals.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2026
It was nearly all exposed to the sun, but the trail was punctuated by spots of shade with picnic benches that offered ideal resting points.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ideal
Adjective
Although the plasma does not directly touch the reactor walls under ideal conditions, intense heat and high-energy particles still impact the inner surfaces.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Spring is one of my favorite times of year for several reasons, but the main one is that the season is the ideal excuse to invest in new sandals.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
The sprawling mountain-view grounds, centered on a spacious graveled courtyard ideal for entertaining, host an infinity pool and spa, a bocce court, and a 220-tree Italian olive grove.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2026
It was nearly all exposed to the sun, but the trail was punctuated by spots of shade with picnic benches that offered ideal resting points.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ideal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideal
Adjective
-
John Preskill, a senior theoretical physicist at the university with a long history in the field of quantum error correction, advised the group.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
-
That alone suggests Google expects quantum computing to be close enough to move from a theoretical problem to a practical one, which means other companies will almost certainly take note and follow suit.—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Engendered by the ubiquity of stable and robust WiFi and the incredible power of the smartphone’s system-on-a-chip design, the smart everything era demonstrates the full transfer of the smartness imaginary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Following Christopher Columbus’ first voyage, the rulers of Portugal and Spain, by the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), partitioned the non-Christian world between them by an imaginary line in the Atlantic, 370 leagues (about 1,300 miles) west of the Cape Verde Islands.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On this postcard-perfect corner of Canada’s northeastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador that’s slammed by wind and waves, cod-fishing communities hold on to their distinctive settler history.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Anything less than near-perfect means teams are preparing for a potential delay.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Artists Joshua Flores and Giesi Amaya integrated those ideas into the final product.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
-
On the night Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis came to see our play, the actor playing Ice had an idea.—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then Buttered Popcorn dethroned it in 1998, bumping the cherry classic from its perch.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
-
From popular chain restaurants to quick, convenient favorites, plenty of spots will be open on Easter Sunday, serving everything from brunch classics to comfort food staples.—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has not only stolen top-secret government files, apparently for business purposes but used his office to harass and investigate his political targets.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The movie addresses metaphysical questions such as the egregore of a generation, the nature of evil, and the search for God in times of His absence.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The most fundamental consequences of being struck by lightning are often metaphysical, and not easily communicable.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The two bonded over Crane’s adoration of the 1930s fictional detective Nero Wolfe and the formative subject of their fathers.—
Annie Vainshtein,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Getting cleared of a gruesome crime has boosted his social cache in his upper-class neighborhood of Westmont Village, a fictional New York suburb.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideal. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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