ideally

adverb

ide·​al·​ly ī-ˈdē-ə-lē 

-ˈdē(-ə)l-lē

1

a

: conformably to or in respect to an ideal : perfectly

He would have liked to live in a world of ideally united couples, himself ideally united …

—P. G. Wodehouse

b

: for best results

Ideally, the counselor should vary his techniques for each applicant …

—T. M. Martinez

c

: in accordance with an ideal or typical standard : classically

2

: in relation to an exemplar

3

: in idea or imagination : mentally

… was afraid of the gallows. She was terrified of them ideally. Having never set eyes on that last argument of men's justice …

—Joseph Conrad

Synonyms of ideally

• perfectly
• immaculately

Examples of ideally in a Sentence

His skills made him ideally suited for the job.

They were ideally suited to one another.

The ski slope was situated ideally.

Recent Examples on the Web

Celebrity guests accompany the contestants, ideally helping and not hindering them, to an all-or-nothing final, where one test decides everything, including the true identity of the player. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Just as a still concentrates a large batch of weak liquid into a smaller batch of strong stuff, AI distillation condenses a big model into a smaller one that, ideally, acts like the original. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026

The major tech companies, banks, and other key firms will need to beat Wall Street's estimates; bond yields need to stabilize; and oil needs to come down, ideally trading well below $100 a barrel, backed by a peace deal with Iran. — Daren Fonda, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

For families The hotel is ideally placed for family exploration of the city’s downtown attractions, and is attached to Vue Orleans, the city’s only observation deck. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for ideally

• lapilli
• swahili
• freely
• keeley
• mealy
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili
• microvilli

Kids Definition

ideally

adverb

ide·​al·​ly ī-ˈdē-ə-lē 

-ˈdē(-ə)l-lē

1

: in agreement with an ideal : perfectly

ideally suited to the job

2

: for best results

ideally, each student should arrive early