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ideally

B2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /aɪdˈiəli/

US

  • /aɪˈdili/

Meanings

Adverb

  1. in the best, most suitable, or preferred way

Beyond the definition

"Ideally," we would all have endless free time and perfect weather for picnics every day. But life is not always like that. The word "ideally" describes what would happen if everything went just right, or how something should be in a perfect world. It is often used when talking about hopes, plans, or the best possible result. You might say, "Ideally, the project will be finished by Friday," meaning that this is the goal if things go smoothly. It can also describe something that is a perfect fit for a certain purpose.

Examples

  1. 1

    Travel plan

    Ideally, we'd leave early and get there before lunch.

  2. 2

    Location

    The apartment is ideally located near the station and the river.

    • Phraseideally located

      in the best or most convenient place

  3. 3

    Study conditions

    Children should ideally have a quiet place to study at home.

  4. 4

    Work preference

    I'd ideally like to work part-time for the first few months.

More examples
  1. 5

    Soft deadline

    We need a final answer by Friday, ideally.

    • Grammar

      At the end of a sentence, ideally often means "if possible in the best situation."

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

  • in a perfect world
  • best-case

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • ideally, we would
  • ideally suited
  • ideally located

Word family

Explore

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • ideallyadverb