i‧deal‧is‧m /aɪˈdɪəlɪzəm/ noun [uncountable]

1. the belief that you should live your life according to high standards and principles, even when they are very difficult to achieve ⇒ realism:
the idealism of the younger generation
religious idealism

2. technical a way of using art or literature to show the world as a perfect place, even though it is not ⇒ realism, naturalism

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲