idealized
UK: aɪˈdɪəlaɪzd | US: aɪˈdiəlaɪzd
adj. Regarded or represented as perfect or better than in reality.
vt. The past tense and past participle of "idealize" (to perceive or represent something as ideal).
The word "idealized" stems from the noun "ideal" (from Late Latin "idealis," meaning "existing in idea"), combined with the verb-forming suffix "-ize" (from Greek "-izein," indicating "to make or become"). The addition of "-ed" marks it as a past participle. The term reflects the transformation of an abstract concept ("ideal") into an action ("to idealize") and its resultant state ("idealized"). This progression mirrors the human tendency to elevate reality to an imagined perfection.
The biography idealized the leader’s achievements, omitting his flaws.
Her paintings often idealized rural life as peaceful and harmonious.
Historians caution against viewing the past through an idealized lens.
The film’s ending felt unrealistic, as it idealized the protagonist’s struggles.
Romanticized and idealized memories can distort our perception of childhood.