Meaning & use
idealism
The pursuit of high or noble ideals, often without full regard for what is practical or achievable.
See it in a sentence
Her idealism led her to volunteer abroad instead of pursuing a higher-paying job.
Youthful idealism inspired the students to campaign for sweeping political change.
A note on using this word
In philosophy, idealism instead names the theory that reality is fundamentally shaped by ideas or the mind rather than matter.
Words with a similar meaning
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Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. noun
The philosophical theory that reality is essentially mental or dependent on ideas.
The professor's lecture contrasted idealism with materialist views of the universe.
Make it your own
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