idealism

/aɪˈdiəˌlɪzəm/
noun
  1. The belief that ideals and high principles are important, often with a focus on how things should be rather than how they are.
    • Her idealism led her to work for a charity instead of a high-paying job.
    • Youthful idealism can sometimes clash with the realities of adult life.
    • The politician's speech was full of idealism but lacked practical solutions.
  2. In philosophy, the theory that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual, and that the material world is a product of the mind.
    • German idealism was a major movement in 19th-century philosophy.
    • In philosophy class, we discussed how idealism differs from materialism.
    • Berkeley's idealism argues that objects only exist when perceived.
What does "idealism" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean