plural beau ideals
: the perfect type or model

Examples of beau ideal in a Sentence

she is the beau ideal of the dedicated medical professional Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous architectural creation, Falling Water, is widely regarded as the beau ideal of a building in harmony with its setting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024 Fieg is its beau ideal. Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

French beau idéal ideal beauty

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of beau ideal was in 1786

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beau%20ideal. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

plural beau ideals
: a perfect model
the beau ideal of a basketball player
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!