Idealization: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when presenting something as perfect or better than reality.

• Her idealization of the past made her nostalgic for times that never truly existed

The act of seeing someone or something as perfect or without flaws, often used in personal relationships.

• He was idealizing his new girlfriend, not yet seeing any of her imperfections

Used to overly praise or honor someone or something, often ignoring faults and negative aspects.

• The glorification of war in movies can lead to a distorted view of its true horrors

Used to describe making something seem more appealing or exciting than it actually is, often with a nostalgic or dreamy quality.

• She was romanticizing life in the countryside, ignoring the hard work it actually involves

Used when discussing the action or process of seeing something or someone as perfect or more desirable than they really are.

• His idealization of his childhood made it difficult for him to see its flaws.

Refers to the act of perceiving someone or something as better than they really are, often leading to unrealistic expectations.

• She was always idealizing her romantic partners, which led to constant disappointments.

Describes a personality trait where a person strives for flawlessness and sets high performance standards, often leading to stress and dissatisfaction.

• His perfectionism meant he spent hours on projects, ensuring every detail was perfect.

Used in contexts related to the appreciation of beauty and art, often implying a focus on the visual or sensory qualities of objects, sometimes at the expense of practical concerns.

• The movement of aestheticism in the 19th century emphasized art for art's sake.

Used when something is presented in a perfect or ideal form, often exaggerating positive aspects and minimizing negative ones. Usually implies a certain level of bias or unrealistic portrayal.

• Her idealization of her hometown made it hard for her to see its flaws
• The movie's idealization of the main character portrays him as flawless

Best suited when something complex is made easier to understand, usually by stripping it of unnecessary details. This can sometimes lead to loss of important information.

• The tutorial was a simplification of the software's full capabilities
• Her explanation was a simplification, but it helped everyone understand the basic idea

Used when referring to an estimate or a rough calculation that is close to the actual value but not exact. Often used in scientific and everyday contexts.

• The engineer provided an approximation of the project's cost
• Although it's not exact, this approximation will give us a good idea of the time needed

Appropriate when discussing a concept that is general, theoretical, or not tied to specific instances; often used in art, philosophy, and science.

• In mathematics, abstraction helps to focus on the properties that different objects have in common
• The artist's abstraction of the landscape left much to the viewer's imagination