Idealistic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. characterized by or reflecting high standards, noble principles, or unrealistic expectations about how things should be
2. pertaining to a mindset that pursues perfection or lofty goals, often displaying optimism or impractical visions about reality and human potential
3. describing an outlook inclined towards perfectionism, emphasizing noble ideals while sometimes overlooking practical limitations and tangible truths

Etymology: "Idealistic" is a plain formation: it combines "idealist" with the suffix "-ic", or alternatively "ideal" with "-istic". Both routes lead to the same sense of being guided by lofty principles, and the adjective's meaning grows directly out of the noun it comes from. The base word "ideal" traces back through Late Latin "idealis" to Greek "idea", meaning a form or pattern, which is the source of the sense of a perfect model held in the mind. Over time the idea of an ideal shifted from a mental pattern to a standard of perfection worth striving for, and "idealist" came to name someone who lives by such standards. Because the suffix does the work of turning a person-noun or noun into a quality, the adjective describes an outlook rather than a fact about the world. That is why it can carry a faint note of criticism, suggesting that the outlook sometimes ignores practical limits.

Synonyms: optimistic, dreamy, visionary, romantic, utopian

Antonyms: realistic, pragmatic, cynical, pessimistic, skeptical