Ideals Meaning: What Ideals Means
Quick answer
Ideals are standards of perfection or principles and values a person aspires to. As a noun, an ideal is a model of excellence to aim for or a guiding belief about what is right, such as honesty, freedom, or fairness.
Ideals (the plural of ideal, used as a noun) are the standards, principles, and values a person holds up as worth striving for. An ideal can be a picture of perfection you aim toward (the ideal of a fair society) or a core belief that guides how you act (she stayed true to her ideals).
The word is easy to mix up with ideas because the two look and sound alike, but they mean different things. Ideas are thoughts and plans in your mind. Ideals are the values and standards you measure things against. This page explains what ideals means, gives examples, lists close synonyms, and clears up the ideals versus ideas confusion.
Definition
noun
1.A standard of perfection or excellence; a model held up as the best of its kind and worth aiming for.
The design falls short of the ideal, but it is close.
noun
2.A principle, value, or belief that a person aspires to or lives by.
He gave up a comfortable job to serve his ideals.
noun
3.A person or thing regarded as a perfect example.
For many young writers she remains the ideal.
adjective
4.Existing as a perfect model; exactly right or most suitable. (The related adjective, for context.)
It was the ideal spot for a first store.
Ideals vs ideas: the key difference
Ideals and ideas are commonly confused because only one letter separates them. The difference is meaning. Ideas are thoughts, notions, or plans that form in your mind (I have an idea for a book). Ideals are standards, values, or principles you aspire to (she lives by strong ideals).
A quick test: if you could sketch it on a napkin or act on it this week, it is an idea. If it is a value you would defend or a standard you measure things against, it is an ideal. You come up with ideas; you hold to ideals.
Two senses of ideals
The first sense is a standard of perfection: the best a thing could possibly be. In this sense, reality rarely matches the ideal, and that is expected. The ideal of a perfect interview or a perfect launch is a target, not a promise.
The second sense is a moral or personal principle: the values that guide your choices. Freedom, honesty, equality, and loyalty are common ideals. When people talk about someone with high ideals, this is the sense they mean.
Ideals in a sentence
- She refused to compromise her ideals for a quick profit.
- The republic was founded on the ideals of liberty and equality.
- Reality seldom lives up to our ideals, but they still guide us.
- As a teacher, he tried to pass his ideals on to his students.
- Their business balances high ideals with practical decisions.
Synonyms for ideals
Close synonyms depend on the sense. For values and principles, use principles, values, morals, standards, ethics, convictions, and beliefs. For a standard of perfection, use model, paragon, benchmark, exemplar, and epitome. For something aimed at, use aspirations and goals.
- principles
- values
- morals
- standards
- ethics
- convictions
- beliefs
- aspirations
- benchmarks
- models
Frequently asked questions
What does ideals mean?
Ideals are standards of perfection or the principles and values a person aspires to. An ideal can be a model of excellence to aim for or a core belief that guides how someone acts, such as honesty or fairness.
What is the difference between ideals and ideas?
Ideas are thoughts, notions, or plans that form in your mind. Ideals are the standards, values, and principles you aspire to. You come up with ideas; you hold to ideals. Only one letter separates the spellings, which is why they are often confused.
What are some examples of ideals?
Common ideals include freedom, honesty, equality, justice, loyalty, and compassion. A country can be founded on ideals of liberty and equality, and a person can be said to have high ideals.
Is ideals a noun or an adjective?
Ideals is a plural noun (the values or standards you hold). Ideal can also be an adjective meaning perfect or most suitable, as in the ideal candidate, but only the noun form is pluralized as ideals.
What is a synonym for ideals?
Good synonyms are principles, values, morals, standards, and convictions for the values sense, and model, benchmark, or exemplar for the perfection sense.
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