as in optimism
the attitude of a person who believes that it is possible to live according to very high standards of behavior and honesty
youthful idealism romantic idealism
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Recent Examples of idealism
Some captains lead with unshakable idealism, others with tactical brilliance, and a few with a flair for improvisation that somehow always saves the day.
—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Giving our acquisition of an indulgence the gloss of idealism makes the purchase go down much more easily.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
And both of them are hyped up on hormones and full of idealism.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Around the same time, a rare Saturn–Neptune alignment challenges old beliefs about love and commitment, especially those shaped by idealism rather than experience.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealism
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Giving our acquisition of an indulgence the gloss of idealism makes the purchase go down much more easily.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
And both of them are hyped up on hormones and full of idealism.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 20 Jan. 2026
Around the same time, a rare Saturn–Neptune alignment challenges old beliefs about love and commitment, especially those shaped by idealism rather than experience.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for idealism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealism
Noun
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The Duffers, our wonderful, amazing creators, wanted to leave everybody with this level of optimism that the show has always given everyone.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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Silberfeld’s optimism arose from the agency’s apparent backtracking from plans unveiled in a January court hearing to install up to 800 tiny homes on the property.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Coach Sean Miller will focus on his team's carelessness with the ball at half; Texas has nine turnovers compared to two for Auburn.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Jan. 2026
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The other was carelessness that led to Gonzalez’s clean look.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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However, don’t let your frankness be a hard no.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off those comments as an example of the president’s frankness.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The simpleness of the look really allowed the Crocs to stand out and make an impression.—
Tara Larson,
Footwear News,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Cove, on West Houston Street, does not mark an especially obvious step into maturity or anything narratively pat like that, because McGarry’s cooking and his businesses have never really had so much as a hint of childishness to begin with.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
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The gesture’s lack of dignity, its childishness, its pettiness, are completely in character.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bulky travel accessories are more likely to be left at home and gather dust in the closet due to their impracticality, but this hanging pouch will suffer no such fate.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Dec. 2025
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There was something freeing about opting into impracticality.—
Junnelle Hogen,
Outside,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Part of what makes it such an uneasy sit is its sincerity.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
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Kitsune distrusts systems and sincerity equally.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Gilbert’s colloquial style, once a source of great pleasure, has tipped into new territory—an ingenuousness that blends guru and disciple, mother and child.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idealism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealism. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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