ideal

The word “ideal” means perfect or the best possible for a given purpose. In plain terms, perfect for the purpose, or a standard of perfection someone aspires to.

“Ideal” is pronounced eye-DEERL (/aɪˈdi(ə)l/ in IPA).

Here is “ideal” used in a sentence: “This spot is ideal for a picnic.”

Words with a similar meaning to “ideal” include order ideal.

The opposite of “ideal” — its antonyms — is filter.

Depending on how it is used, “ideal” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “ideal” comes from Late Latin. From Late Latin idealis ("existing in idea"), built on Latin idea; related to "idea".

“Ideal” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

Perfect means having no flaws at all, complete in itself. Ideal means the best possible for a particular purpose or situation, even if it is not literally flawless. A day can be ideal for a picnic without being perfect, because 'ideal' is judged against a goal rather than against absolute perfection.

Yes. As an adjective it describes something best-suited to a purpose, as in 'the ideal candidate.' As a noun, an ideal is a standard of perfection or a principle worth striving for, as in 'she lives by her ideals.' Same word, but one describes and the other names a goal.

As an adjective, the opposite of ideal is something like unsuitable, poor, or far from ideal — a wrong fit for the purpose. In its noun sense, the opposite of an ideal might be reality, since ideals describe how things should be rather than how they always are in practice.

You might describe a quiet, well-lit room as the ideal place to study, or say that mild, dry weather is ideal for hiking. In each case something is called ideal because it matches the needs of a specific purpose especially well — not because nothing about it could ever be improved.