# idealism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ʌɪˈdɪəlɪz(ə)m/ · frequency rank #25,419

## Definitions
1. The property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable or at odds with practical life.
2. The practice or habit of giving or attributing ideal form or character to things; treatment of things in art or literature according to ideal standards or patterns;—opposed to realism.
3. An approach to philosophical enquiry, which asserts that direct and immediate knowledge can only be had of ideas or mental pictures.

## Etymology
First attested 1796, from ideal + -ism.

## Easily confused with
- **ideals** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/idealism-vs-ideals)
- **idealist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/idealism-vs-idealist)

## Common misspellings (11)
`diealism`, `idaelism`, `iddealism`, `ideailsm`, `idealims`, `idealismm`, `idealissm`, `ideallism`, `idealsim`, `idelaism`, `iedalism`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/idealism