idealization

noun

Definition of idealizationnext
as in romanticization

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of idealization The film is admirably committed to documenting this lifestyle without much idealization or condemnation. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 How to critique technological solutionism without embracing rural idealization and nostalgia of the kind entangled with nationalism and völkisch thought? — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 Neptune, on the other hand, is the planet of dreams, illusions, spirituality, idealization, confusion and surrender. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 Whether that’s true or just an idealization is beside the point; such stories serve as an enormous source of pride and identity. — IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026 The student had an extensive social media presence that showed an idealization of other school shooters and an affinity for antisemitic and Nazi ideologies. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026 Officials censored, revised, and rewrote theater repertoire to remove any idealization of the pre-revolutionary past and add content that glorified Soviet rule. — Yegor Mostovshikov, The Dial, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealization
  1. romanticization
  2. reverence
  3. adoration
  4. glorification
  5. veneration
  6. deference
  7. liking
Noun
  • His signature fusion of gore and glamor has caught him some flak over the years, most prominently around the romanticization of harrowing true crime events.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • It is characterized by a romanticization of traditional elite academia, references to classic literature, and a mysterious atmosphere.
    — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Definition of romanticization
Noun
  • Approaching nature with humility and reverence is a beautiful approach to life.
    — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Life that doesn’t just accept its sentence, but embraces it in joyful reverence?
    — Gabi Abrão, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of reverence
Noun
  • His face appearing on the big screen was naturally greeted by cheers of adoration from the stands and would normally have been a pure reason to smile.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The filmmaker was showered with love and adoration by appreciative fans.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of adoration
Noun
  • Neither maudlin nor melodramatic, and without any glorification, the song is infected by the same chilling gloom which has glommed onto the best of Messrs Linkous, Berman, and Drake.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Grande became the face of an ongoing conversation around health, and the cultural pendulum swing away from body positivity to the glorification of thinness, ignited by the proliferation of weight-loss drugs.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of glorification
Noun
  • Self, who was born in Harlem in 1990 and lives and works in New York, described her as being representative of the city’s spirit, rather than as a specific figure of veneration.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 10 Sep. 2026
  • This, to him, seemed an image of Our Lady and her veneration.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of veneration
Noun
  • In Asia, most markets carry a strong tradition of hierarchy and deference to leadership.
    — Ryoji Sekido, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Jeff Bezos is one of the richest men in the world, so he’s used to being treated with certain deference and most doors being open to him.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of deference
Noun
  • Anyone who’s had a game console and played Madden has arranged depth charts to their liking and made game-management decisions to feel like a head coach.
    — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • This flamboyantly ambitious novel, which takes place in a version of Atlanta known as Atlantis, follows the life of George Washington Jonson, a Black cop with a liking for white women.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of liking

Browse Nearby Words

idealists
idealization
idealizations
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Cite this Entry

“Idealization.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealization. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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