noun
- Plural of idealism; the practice of forming or pursuing ideals, especially unrealistic or impractical ones.
- Plural of idealism; philosophical doctrines holding that reality is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise non-physical.
Usage: Usually uncountable in singular form; plural used when referring to multiple distinct philosophical or practical systems of idealism.
Usage: Philosophy; refers to various schools of thought (e.g., Platonic idealism, Kantian idealism, absolute idealism).
Examples
- The young activists' various idealisms clashed when they had to make practical decisions.
- Different idealisms have shaped Western philosophy for centuries.
- Her youthful idealisms about changing the world gradually gave way to compromise.
- The conference explored competing idealisms in modern political theory.
- He rejected the naive idealisms of his youth in favor of a more balanced approach.
- Platonic and Kantian idealisms represent distinct metaphysical positions.