idealist

1 of 2

noun

ide·​al·​ist ī-ˈdē-(ə-)list How to pronounce idealist (audio)
ˈī-(ˌ)dē-
1
: one guided by ideals
especially : one that places ideals before practical considerations
2
a
: an adherent of a philosophical theory of idealism
b
: an artist or author who advocates or practices idealism in art or writing

idealist

2 of 2

adjective

Examples of idealist in a Sentence

Noun an idealist sees the best in everyone, regardless of how they behave Adjective an idealist attempt to make a go of a mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The diary belonged to Lam Ping-yu, an ambitious and patriotic idealist who was born to a well-off Chinese family in Indonesia in 1911 and eagerly joined his home country’s navy. Peter Guo, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024 For instance, his call for all Bitcoin mining to be located in the U.S. rubbed certain crypto idealists the wrong way, as decentralization and immunity to governmental pressures is a key part of the ethos of crypto mining. Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 17 July 2024
Adjective
In the new release, Temple plays idealist scientist Dr. Teddy Paine opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor’s General Rex Strickland — the overseer of a secret research facility dedicated to symbiotes. Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024 The movie stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, an idealist architect with the power to control time, who is determined to rebuild a city that seems like New York after an accident plunges it into ruins. Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for idealist 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1803, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Adjective

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of idealist was in 1803

Dictionary Entries Near idealist

Cite this Entry

“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idealist. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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