- [countable] an idea or standard that seems perfect, and worth trying to achieve or obtain
- He was accused of betraying his political ideals.
- She found it hard to live up to his high ideals.
- advancing the ideals of freedom and democracy
Extra ExamplesTopics Successb2, Politicsb2- A journalist should always live up to the ideals of truth, decency and justice.
- Platonic ideals of beauty
- Sam was a real leader who had high moral ideals.
- They still clung to the old ideals.
- This is not an unattainable ideal.
- We obviously share the same ideals.
- romantic ideals of living off the land
- the democratic ideals embodied in the charter
- Democratic ideals include the principle that everyone should have a say in how they are governed.
- Is true love an unattainable ideal?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- lofty
- noble
- …
- be committed to
- believe in
- cling to
- …
- [countable, usually singular] ideal (of something) a person or thing that you think is perfect
- It's my ideal of what a family home should be.
- This agreement falls far short of the ideal.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- lofty
- noble
- …
- be committed to
- believe in
- cling to
- …
Word Originlate Middle English (as a term in Platonic philosophy, in the sense ‘existing as an archetype’): from late Latin idealis, via Latin from Greek idea ‘form, pattern’, from the base of idein ‘to see’.
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