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idealism

idea·lism

UK/ʌɪˈdɪəlɪz(ə)m/ US/ʌɪˈdiːəlɪz(ə)m/ uncommon

noun

1.

(philosophy) the philosophical theory that ideas are the only reality

2.

impracticality by virtue of thinking of things in their ideal form rather than as they really are

3.

elevated ideals or conduct; the quality of believing that ideals should be pursued

Synonyms

Origin

First attested 1796, from ideal + -ism.

Phrases

  • absolute idealism
  • epistemological idealism
  • metaphysical idealism
  • transcendental idealism

Related words

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.