| / English Dictionary |
IDEAL
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("ideal" is a kind of...):
idea; thought (the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ideal"):
value (an ideal accepted by some individual or group)
beau ideal; idol; paragon; perfection (an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept)
criterion; standard (the ideal in terms of which something can be judged)
example; exemplar; good example; model (something to be imitated)
ego ideal ((psychoanalysis) the part of the ego that contains an ideal of personal excellence toward which a person strives)
Derivation:
idealise (form ideals)
idealise (consider or render as ideal)
idealize (form ideals)
idealize (consider or render as ideal)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Synonyms:
apotheosis; ideal; nonesuch; nonpareil; nonsuch; paragon; saint
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("ideal" is a kind of...):
model; role model (someone worthy of imitation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ideal"):
crackerjack; jimdandy; jimhickey (someone excellent of their kind)
class act (someone who shows impressive and stylish excellence)
humdinger (someone of remarkable excellence)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Constituting or existing only in the form of an idea or mental image or conception
Example:
a poem or essay may be typical of its period in idea or ideal content
Classified under:
Similar:
abstract (existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment)
Derivation:
idea (the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about)
ideality (the quality of being ideal)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal
Classified under:
Similar:
perfect (being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish)
Derivation:
ideality (the quality of being ideal)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of the reality of ideas
Synonyms:
ideal; idealistic
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
Pertainym:
idealism ((philosophy) the philosophical theory that ideas are the only reality)
Context examples:
The researchers demonstrated promising performance with the perovskite bandgaps ideal for layering on top of a silicon solar cell or with another perovskite layer – so-called tandem solar cells.
(Potassium gives perovskite-based solar cells an efficiency boost, University of Cambridge)
In addition, this approach can be performed with minimal training, making it ideal for countries with limited health care resources, where cervical cancer is a leading cause of illness and death among women.
(AI approach outperformed human experts in identifying cervical precancer, National Institutes of Health)
High levels of silica in the rock could indicate ideal conditions for preserving ancient organic material, if present, so the science team wants to take a closer look.
(Curiosity Rover Inspects Unusual Bedrock, NASA)
The microfluid channel technique they developed is ideal for use in the field.
(New approach promises better anaemia detection, SciDev.Net)
This makes it ideal for cities that have growing demand for public transit, but not enough money to build subways.
(Driverless Bus-train Hybrid Runs on Virtual Painted Tracks, VOA)
The study provided more evidence in regards to bone health and ideal supplementation.
(Higher Dose of Vitamin D Increases Bone Density in Premature Babies, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
It is what I dreamed of—the great and perfect thing—when I was a simple young man, with sweet illusions and clean ideals.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
"Well, in the first place, I don't think my ideal would speak like that," said she.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
This man had saved his life, which was something; but, further, he was the ideal master.
(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)
I sought my ideal of a woman amongst English ladies, French countesses, Italian signoras, and German grafinnen.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
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