noun [U]
1 the belief that a perfect life, situation, etc. can be achieved, even when this is not very likely:
He was full of youthful idealism. * Idealism has no place in modern politics.
2 (philosophy) the belief that our ideas are the only things that are real and that we can know about
compareMATERIALISM, REALISM
idealist noun:
He's too much of an idealist for this government.
