Idealization: meaning, definitions and examples

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idealization

 

[ aɪˌdiːəlaɪˈzeɪʃən ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in psychology

The process of representing someone or something as perfect or better than in reality, often leading to unrealistic expectations and disappointment.

Synonyms

glorification, idealizing, romanticizing

Examples of usage

  • She had an idealization of her partner, which made it difficult for her to see his flaws.
  • His idealization of success led to constant dissatisfaction with his achievements.
  • The media's idealization of beauty can have negative effects on self-esteem.
Context #2 | Noun

in art

The practice of representing objects in an ideal form, emphasizing beauty and perfection rather than realism.

Synonyms

aestheticism, idealizing, perfectionism

Examples of usage

  • The artist's idealization of nature was evident in his paintings.
  • The sculpture showed the idealization of the human body.
  • Classic Greek art often involves idealization of the human form.
Context #3 | Noun

in physics

A simplification or approximation of a real-world system or process used to make calculations or models more manageable.

Synonyms

abstraction, approximation, simplification

Examples of usage

  • The idealization of frictionless surfaces in physics experiments.
  • Engineers often use idealizations to simplify complex systems.
  • Mathematicians rely on idealizations to solve difficult problems.

Translations

Translations of the word "idealization" in other languages:

🇵🇹 idealização

🇮🇳 आदर्शीकरण

🇩🇪 Idealisierung

🇮🇩 idealisasi

🇺🇦 ідеалізація

🇵🇱 idealizacja

🇯🇵 理想化 (risōka)

🇫🇷 idéalisation

🇪🇸 idealización

🇹🇷 idealizasyon

🇰🇷 이상화 (isanghwa)

🇸🇦 تَجْسِيد المِثَال

🇨🇿 idealizace

🇸🇰 idealizácia

🇨🇳 理想化 (lǐxiǎnghuà)

🇸🇮 idealizacija

🇮🇸 ímyndun

🇰🇿 идеализация

🇬🇪 იდეალიზაცია

🇦🇿 ideallaşdırma

🇲🇽 idealización

Etymology

The word 'idealization' originates from the verb 'idealize', which first appeared in the early 19th century. It stems from the word 'ideal', which comes from the Late Latin 'ideal'is, meaning 'existing in idea or archetype'. The concept of idealization has been explored in various fields, from psychology to art to physics, highlighting the human tendency to strive for perfection and beauty.

See also: ideal, idealism, idealist, idealistic, idealize, idealizing, ideally, idealness.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #23,062, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.