Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

idealism

 - 2 dictionary results

i⋅de⋅al⋅ism

  [ahy-dee-uh-liz-uhm]
Use idealism in a Sentence
–noun
1. the cherishing or pursuit of high or noble principles, purposes, goals, etc.
2. the practice of idealizing.
3. something idealized; an ideal representation.
4. Fine Arts. treatment of subject matter in a work of art in which a mental conception of beauty or form is stressed, characterized usually by the selection of particular features of various models and their combination into a whole according to a standard of perfection. Compare naturalism (def. 2), realism (def. 3a).
5. Philosophy.
a. any system or theory that maintains that the real is of the nature of thought or that the object of external perception consists of ideas.
b. the tendency to represent things in an ideal form, or as they might or should be rather than as they are, with emphasis on values.
Origin:
1790–1800; ideal + -ism, prob. modeled on G Idealismus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To idealism
i·de·al·ism   (ī-dē'ə-lĭz'əm)   
n.  

  1. The act or practice of envisioning things in an ideal form.

  2. Pursuit of one's ideals.

  3. Idealized treatment of a subject in literature or art.

  4. Philosophy The theory that the object of external perception, in itself or as perceived, consists of ideas.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see idealism on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way