Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One whose conduct or thinking is influenced by ideals that often conflict with practical considerations.
  • noun An artist or writer whose work is imbued with idealism.
  • noun An adherent of any system of philosophical idealism.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who holds some form of the philosophical doctrine of idealism: opposed to realist.
  • noun One who pursues or dwells upon the ideal; a seeker after the highest beauty or good.
  • noun An imaginative, unpractical person; a day-dreamer.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One who idealizes; one who forms picturesque fancies; one given to romantic expectations.
  • noun One who holds the doctrine of idealism, in any sense. In senses 4 and 5 of idealism, opposed to realist.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun philosophy One who adheres to idealism.
  • noun Someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality.
  • noun An unrealistic or impractical visionary.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun someone guided more by ideals than by practical considerations

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French idéaliste, from Late Latin idealis ("ideal"), from Latin idea ("idea").

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Examples

  • In this chapter the word idealist will be used in several ways.

    Interpretations of American History Gerald N. Grob 1967

  • In this chapter the word idealist will be used in several ways.

    Interpretations of American History Gerald N. Grob 1967

  • In years past, this would be a familiar race between a member of the Albany machine (Mr. DiNapoli entered New York politics at the age of 18) and a young idealist from the lost tribe known as the New York Republicans.

    The Biggest Race You Haven't Heard Of Daniel Henninger 2010

  • Long-ago Democratic president Woodrow Wilson, meanwhile, known to most of us as a modestly progressive idealist, is in the right-wing canon America's first fascist ruler.

    Midterm election results: the fight Obama now faces Michael Tomasky 2010

  • An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.

    Blog De Ganz | Archive | June 2008

  • In November 1910, Francisco Madero, a young idealist from a wealthy family, supported by ragtag armies under Pancho Villa in the north and Zapata in the south, led a revolt against the Diaz administration.

    Murder in Mexico: an English family during the Revolution 2006

  • In November 1910, Francisco Madero, a young idealist from a wealthy family, supported by ragtag armies under Pancho Villa in the north and Zapata in the south, led a revolt against the Diaz administration.

    Murder in Mexico: an English family during the Revolution 2006

  • In November 1910, Francisco Madero, a young idealist from a wealthy family, supported by ragtag armies under Pancho Villa in the north and Zapata in the south, led a revolt against the Diaz administration.

    Murder in Mexico: an English family during the Revolution 2006

  • Their homes and galleries may be all the soul desires; but the instant they venture on the streets of the city, they have left the realm of beauty for an unsightly dominion, where the utilitarian makes the world hideous and survives, and the idealist is banished or exterminated.

    What Communities Lose by the Competitive System 1900

  • Their homes and galleries may be all the soul desires; but the instant they venture on the streets of the city, they have left the realm of beauty for an unsightly dominion, where the utilitarian makes the world hideous and survives, and the idealist is banished or exterminated.

    What Communities Lose by the Competivie System 1900

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