idealistically
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/2
Idealistic, principled, optimistic, and visionary all describe a positive outlook, but they differ in emphasis. An idealistic person holds strong beliefs about how the world ought to be, especially in terms of fairness or moral perfection — for example, a young activist who believes every social problem has a just solution. Someone who is principled follows a clear set of moral rules regardless of the outcome; a principled judge might rule against a popular opinion because the law demands it. Optimistic means expecting good things to happen, without necessarily believing in a perfect ideal; an optimistic investor might expect the stock market to rise. Visionary suggests the ability to imagine future possibilities that others cannot yet see; a visionary architect designs buildings that seem impossible until they are built. In short: idealistic people want a perfect world; principled people follow rules; optimistic people expect good results; visionary people see what does not yet exist.
Common collocations
Adverbs
- idealistically
- naively idealistic
- hopelessly idealistic
- youthfully idealistic
Phrases
- idealistic about the future
- idealistic in outlook
Etymology
The word comes from the Greek idea (ἰδέα), meaning 'form, pattern, or concept'. In the 1700s, philosophers used ideal to describe something that exists only in the mind as a perfect example. By the 1800s, idealist described someone who believes that high moral or spiritual values are the most important reality. The adverb idealistically was formed by adding -ically to idealistic, which itself comes from idealist plus the suffix -ic.