Meanings
nounidealism (countable and uncountable, plural idealisms)
plural idealisms
- countableuncountableThe property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable or at odds with practical life.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesAn approach to philosophical enquiry, which asserts that direct and immediate knowledge can only be had of ideas or mental pictures.
Synonyms: philosophical idealism · Antonyms: materialism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn approach to philosophical enquiry, which asserts that direct and immediate knowledge can only be had of ideas or mental pictures.
Similar
philosophical idealism
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
nounelevated ideals or conduct; the quality of believing that ideals should be pursued
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
First attested 1796, from ideal + -ism.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مِثَالِيَّة
- مِثَالِيَّة (miṯāliyya)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Bulgarian идеали́зъм
- идеали́зъм (idealízăm)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Catalan idealisme, idealisme
- idealismeproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealismean approach to philosophical enquiry
Chinese Mandarin 理想主义, 唯心主義 /唯心主义
- 理想主义 (lǐxiǎngzhǔyì)property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- 唯心主義 /唯心主义 (wéixīnzhǔyì)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Czech idealismus
- idealismusan approach to philosophical enquiry
Esperanto ideismo
- ideismoan approach to philosophical enquiry
Finnish idealismi, idealistisuus
- idealismiproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealistisuusproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealisointipractice of giving ideal character
- idealisaatiopractice of giving ideal character
- idealismipractice of giving ideal character
- idealismian approach to philosophical enquiry
French idéalisme, idéalisme
- idéalismeproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idéalismean approach to philosophical enquiry
German Idealismus, Idealisierung
- Idealismusproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- Idealisierungpractice of giving ideal character
- Idealismusan approach to philosophical enquiry
Greek ιδεαλισμός, ιδεαλισμός
- ιδεαλισμός (idealismós)property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- ιδεαλισμός (idealismós)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Hindi आदर्शवाद, प्रत्ययवाद
- आदर्शवाद (ādarśavād)practice of giving ideal character
- प्रत्ययवाद (pratyayvād)an approach to philosophical enquiry
- विज्ञानवाद (vijñānvād)an approach to philosophical enquiry
- आदर्शवाद (ādarśavād)an approach to philosophical enquiry
- भाववाद (bhāvvād)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Icelandic hughyggja
- hughyggjaan approach to philosophical enquiry
Indonesian idealisme, idealisme
- idealismepractice of giving ideal character
- idealismean approach to philosophical enquiry
Irish idéalachas, idéalachas
- idéalachasproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idéalachasan approach to philosophical enquiry
Italian idealismo, idealismo
- idealismoproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealismoan approach to philosophical enquiry
Japanese 理想主義, 観念論
- 理想主義 (risō shugi)property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- 観念論 (kannenron)an approach to philosophical enquiry
- イデアリスム (idearizumu)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Korean 이상주의, 리상주의
- 이상주의 (isangjuui)property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- 리상주의 (risangjuui)property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
Lithuanian idealizmas, idealizmas
- idealizmasproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealizmasan approach to philosophical enquiry
Māori angaparuhi, angaparuhi
- angaparuhiproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- angaparuhian approach to philosophical enquiry
Polish idealizm, idealizm
- idealizmproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealizmpractice of giving ideal character
- idealizman approach to philosophical enquiry
Portuguese idealismo
- idealismoan approach to philosophical enquiry
Romanian idealism, idealism
- idealismproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealisman approach to philosophical enquiry
Russian идеали́зм, идеали́зм
- идеали́зм (idealízm)property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- идеали́зм (idealízm)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Spanish idealismo, idealismo
- idealismoproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealismoan approach to philosophical enquiry
Tagalog pagkamauliran, pagkamakauliran
- pagkamauliranproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- pagkamakauliranproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- pagkamauliranan approach to philosophical enquiry
- pagkamakauliranan approach to philosophical enquiry
Turkish ülkücülük, idealizm
- ülkücülükproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealizmproperty of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- idealizman approach to philosophical enquiry
Ukrainian ідеалі́зм, ідеалі́зм
- ідеалі́зм (idealízm)property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
- ідеалі́зм (idealízm)an approach to philosophical enquiry
Cite this entry
APA
idealism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idealism
MLA
“idealism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idealism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “idealism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/idealism.
Source: idealism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.