[ide.al] adj [ME ydeall, fr. LL idealis, fr. L idea] (15c) 1: existing as an archetypal idea
2. a: existing as a mental image or in fancy or imagination only; broadly: lacking practicality b: relating to or constituting mental images, ideas, or conceptions 3 a: of, relating to, or embodying an ideal b: conforming exactly to an ideal, law, or standard: perfect "an ~ gas"--compare real 2b(3)
4: of or relating to philosophical idealism
[2]ideal n (15c) 1: a standard of perfection, beauty, or excellence
2: one regarded as exemplifying an ideal and often taken as a model for imitation
3: an ultimate object or aim of endeavor: goal
4: a subset of a mathematical ring that is closed under addition and subtraction and contains the products of any given element of the subset with each element of the ring syn see model -- ide.al.less adj