Standard Lemma guide

idealist

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Mid-Atlantic, US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AY0 D IY1 L IH0 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who adheres to idealism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An unrealistic or impractical visionary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

someone guided more by ideals than by practical considerations

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dreamer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: visionary

Narrower terms: Don Quixote, romantic

History

Etymology

From French idéaliste, from Late Latin idealis (“ideal”), from Latin idea (“idea”), equivalent to ideal + -ist.

Across languages

Translations

67 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: իդեալիստ (idealist) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Armenian: գաղափարապաշտ (gaġapʻarapašt) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Belarusian: ідэаліст (idealist) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Belarusian: ідэалістка (idealistka) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Catalan: idealista — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Chinese Mandarin: 唯心主義者 /唯心主义者 (wéixīnzhǔyìzhě) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Czech: idealista — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • French: idéaliste — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Galician: idealista — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • German: Idealist — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • German: Idealistin — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Irish: idéalaí — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Italian: idealista — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Macedonian: идеали́ст (idealíst) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Polish: idealista — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Polish: idealistka — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Portuguese: idealista — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Russian: идеали́ст (idealíst) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Russian: идеали́стка (idealístka) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Serbo-Croatian: idealist — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Slovene: idealist — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Slovene: idealistka — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Spanish: idealista — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Turkish: idealist — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Ukrainian: ідеалі́ст (idealíst) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Ukrainian: ідеалі́стка (idealístka) — (philosophy) one who adheres to idealism
  • Armenian: իդեալիստ (idealist) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Belarusian: ідэаліст (idealist) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Belarusian: ідэалістка (idealistka) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Catalan: idealista — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Chinese Mandarin: 理想主義者 /理想主义者 (lǐxiǎng zhǔyì zhě) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Dutch: idealist — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Esperanto: idealisto — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • French: idéaliste — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Galician: idealista — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • German: Idealist — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • German: Idealistin — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Italian: idealista — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Macedonian: идеали́ст (idealíst) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Polish: idealista — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Polish: idealistka — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Portuguese: idealista — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Russian: идеали́ст (idealíst) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Russian: идеали́стка (idealístka) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Serbo-Croatian: idealist — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Slovene: idealist — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Slovene: idealistka — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Spanish: idealista — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Ukrainian: ідеалі́ст (idealíst) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Ukrainian: ідеалі́стка (idealístka) — someone whose conduct stems from idealism rather than from practicality
  • Armenian: երազող (erazoġ) — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Dutch: idealist — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • French: idéaliste — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • German: Idealist — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • German: Idealistin — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Italian: idealista — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Macedonian: идеали́ст (idealíst) — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Polish: idealista — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Polish: idealistka — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Portuguese: idealista — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Russian: идеали́ст (idealíst) — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Russian: идеали́стка (idealístka) — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Serbo-Croatian: idealist — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Slovene: idealist — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Slovene: idealistka — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Ukrainian: ідеалі́ст (idealíst) — unrealistic or impractical visionary
  • Ukrainian: ідеалі́стка (idealístka) — unrealistic or impractical visionary