Ideal vs. Real — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 27, 2023
"Ideal" pertains to a perfect standard or concept, while "Real" relates to what exists in actuality, irrespective of how perfect it might be.
Difference Between Ideal and Real
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
The terms "Ideal" and "Real" often juxtapose each other, representing the theoretical versus the actual. While "Ideal" encapsulates a notion of perfection or a standard to strive for, "Real" embodies the tangible, existent, and often imperfect reality.
In philosophy, the "Ideal" is often used to denote concepts or forms that are perfect and immutable. Contrarily, the "Real" emphasizes what is physically present, tangible, and can be perceived through our senses.
Many times, individuals harbor "Ideal" dreams or aspirations, envisioning scenarios or outcomes that represent the best possible version. However, the "Real" world, with its constraints and unpredictabilities, might not always align with these visions.
From a practical viewpoint, while the "Ideal" can guide methodologies, designs, or approaches, it's the "Real" conditions and outcomes that one often has to navigate and address.
Across diverse domains, be it ethics, aesthetics, or science, the tension between the "Ideal" and the "Real" often unfolds. One might aim for the "Ideal" but grapple with the "Real", endeavoring to bridge the gap between the two.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Pertains to perfection or a standard.
Relates to what exists in actuality.
Philosophical Use
Represents perfect concepts or forms.
Emphasizes tangible, existent entities.
Contextual Usage
Often aspirational or theoretical.
Pertains to tangible outcomes or situations.
Practical Implications
Serves as a guiding standard.
What one often navigates or addresses.
In Conflict
Might not always align with the "Real".
Might not always match the "Ideal".
Compare with Definitions
Ideal
Serving as a model or standard.
She is the Ideal candidate for the job.
Real
Genuine and authentic.
His reaction was Real, not feigned.
Ideal
Optimally suitable.
This climate is Ideal for growing tomatoes.
Real
Of tangible or practical importance.
The job offered Real benefits and growth.
Ideal
Satisfying one's conception of what is perfect; most suitable
This is an ideal opportunity to save money
The swimming pool is ideal for a quick dip
Real
In terms of purchasing power.
After adjustments, the Real value of the money was evident.
Ideal
Existing only in the imagination; desirable or perfect but not likely to become a reality
In an ideal world, we might have made a different decision
Real
Actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed
Julius Caesar was a real person
Her many illnesses, real and imaginary
Ideal
A person or thing regarded as perfect
You're my ideal of how a man should be
Real
(of a thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine
The earring was presumably real gold
Ideal
A conception of something in its absolute perfection
The ideal of national unity.
Real
Complete; utter (used for emphasis)
The tour turned out to be a real disaster
Ideal
One that is regarded as a standard or model of perfection or excellence
The restaurant is considered the ideal in fine dining.
Real
Adjusted for changes in the value of money; assessed by purchasing power
Real incomes had fallen by 30 per cent
An increase in real terms of 11.6 per cent
Ideal
An ultimate or worthy object of endeavor; a goal
"those who regarded even a rhetorical commitment to the ideal of disarmament as irresponsibly utopian" (James Carroll).
Real
(of a number or quantity) having no imaginary part.
Ideal
Conforming to a standard of perfection or excellence; perfect or highly satisfactory
An ideal work environment.
Real
(of an image) of a kind in which the light that forms it actually passes through it; not virtual.
Ideal
Existing only in the mind; imaginary
An ideal world where everything works out fine.
Real
Really; very
My head hurts real bad
Ideal
Lacking practicality or the possibility of realization
An ideal notion of how businesses are run.
Real
The basic monetary unit of Brazil since 1994, equal to 100 centavos.
Ideal
Existing as an archetype or pattern, especially as a Platonic idea or perception
The ideal forms.
Real
Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable existence
Real objects.
A real illness.
Ideal
Of or relating to idealism.
Real
True and actual; not imaginary, alleged, or ideal
Real people, not ghosts.
A film based on real life.
Ideal
Optimal; being the best possibility.
Real
Of or founded on practical matters and concerns
A recent graduate experiencing the real world for the first time.
Ideal
Perfect, flawless, having no defects.
Real
Genuine and authentic; not artificial or spurious
Real mink.
Real humility.
Ideal
Pertaining to ideas, or to a given idea.
Real
Being no less than what is stated; worthy of the name
A real friend.
Ideal
Existing only in the mind; conceptual, imaginary.
Real
Free of pretense, falsehood, or affectation
Tourists hoping for a real experience on the guided tour.
Ideal
Teaching or relating to the doctrine of idealism.
The ideal theory or philosophy
Real
Not to be taken lightly; serious
In real trouble.
Ideal
(mathematics) Not actually present, but considered as present when limits at infinity are included.
Ideal point
An ideal triangle in the hyperbolic disk is one bounded by three geodesics that meet precisely on the circle.
Real
(Philosophy) Existing objectively in the world regardless of subjectivity or conventions of thought or language.
Ideal
A perfect standard of beauty, intellect etc., or a standard of excellence to aim at.
Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny - Carl Schurz
Real
Relating to, being, or having value reckoned by actual purchasing power
Real income.
Real growth.
Ideal
A subring closed under multiplication by its containing ring.
Let be the ring of integers and let be its ideal of even integers. Then the quotient ring is a Boolean ring.
The product of two ideals and is an ideal which is a subset of the intersection of and . This should help to understand why maximal ideals are prime ideals. Likewise, the union of and is a subset of .
Real
(Physics) Of, relating to, or being an image formed by light rays that converge in space.
Ideal
A non-empty lower set (of a partially ordered set) which is closed under binary suprema (a.k.a. joins).
Real
(Mathematics) Of, relating to, or being a real number.
Ideal
(set theory) A collection of sets, considered small or negligible, such that every subset of each member and the union of any two members are also members of the collection.
Formally, an ideal of a given set is a nonempty subset of the powerset such that: , and .
Real
(Law) Of or relating to stationary or fixed property, such as buildings or land.
Ideal
A Lie subalgebra (subspace that is closed under the Lie bracket) 𝖍 of a given Lie algebra 𝖌 such that the Lie bracket [𝖌,𝖍] is a subset of 𝖍.
Real
Very
I'm real sorry about that.
Ideal
(algebra) A subsemigroup with the property that if any semigroup element outside of it is added to any one of its members, the result must lie outside of it.
The set of natural numbers with multiplication as the monoid operation (instead of addition) has multiplicative ideals, such as, for example, the set {1, 3, 9, 27, 81, ...}. If any member of it is multiplied by a number which is not a power of 3 then the result will not be a power of three.
Real
A thing or whole having actual existence. Often used with the
Theories beyond the realm of the real.
Ideal
Existing in idea or thought; conceptional; intellectual; mental; as, ideal knowledge.
Real
(Mathematics) A real number.
Ideal
Reaching an imaginary standard of excellence; fit for a model; faultless; as, ideal beauty.
There will always be a wide interval between practical and ideal excellence.
Real
A silver coin formerly used in Spain and Latin America.
Ideal
Existing in fancy or imagination only; visionary; unreal.
Real
A unit of currency formerly used in Portugal.
Ideal
Teaching the doctrine of idealism; as, the ideal theory or philosophy.
Real
See Table at currency.
Ideal
Imaginary.
Real
True, genuine, not merely nominal or apparent.
Ideal
A mental conception regarded as a standard of perfection; a model of excellence, beauty, etc.
The ideal is to be attained by selecting and assembling in one whole the beauties and perfections which are usually seen in different individuals, excluding everything defective or unseemly, so as to form a type or model of the species. Thus, the Apollo Belvedere is the ideal of the beauty and proportion of the human frame.
Real
Genuine, not artificial, counterfeit, or fake.
This is real leather.
Ideal
The idea of something that is perfect; something that one hopes to attain
Real
Genuine, unfeigned, sincere.
These are real tears!
Ideal
Model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Real
Actually being, existing, or occurring; not fictitious or imaginary.
A description of real life
Ideal
Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal
Real
That has objective, physical existence.
No one has ever seen a real unicorn.
Ideal
Constituting or existing only in the form of an idea or mental image or conception;
A poem or essay may be typical of its period in idea or ideal content
Real
(economics) Having been adjusted to remove the effects of inflation; measured in purchasing power contrast nominal.
My dad calculated my family's real consumption per month.
What is the real GNP of this polity?
Ideal
Of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of the reality of ideas
Real
(economics) Relating to the result of the actions of rational agents; relating to neoclassical economic models as opposed to Keynesian models.
Ideal
Representing perfection or excellence.
The sculpture was the Ideal representation of beauty.
Real
Being either a rational number, or the limit of a convergent infinite sequence of rational numbers: being one of a set of numbers with a one-to-one correspondence to the points on a line.
Ideal
Existing in thought or as an idea.
In an Ideal world, there would be no poverty.
Real
(legal) Relating to immovable tangible property.
Real estate;
Real property
Ideal
Of, relating to, or embodying an ideal.
Their relationship seemed almost Ideal.
Real
Absolute, complete, utter.
This is a real problem.
Real
(slang) Signifying meritorious qualities or actions especially as regard the enjoyment of life, prowess at sports, or success wooing potential partners.
I'm keeping it real.
Real
Really, very.
When I told him the truth, he got real mad.
Real
A commodity; see realty.
Real
(grammar) One of the three genders that the common gender can be separated into in the Scandinavian languages.
Real
(mathematics) A real number.
Real
(obsolete) A realist.
Real
Former unit of currency of Spain and Spain's colonies.
Real
A coin worth one real.
Real
A unit of currency used in Portugal and its colonies from 1430 until 1911, and in Brazil from 1790 until 1942.
Real
A coin worth one real.
Real
A unit of currency used in Brazil since 1994. Symbol: R$.
Real
A coin worth one real.
Real
A former small Spanish silver coin; also, a denomination of money of account, formerly the unit of the Spanish monetary system.
Real
A realist.
Real
Royal; regal; kingly.
Real
Actually being or existing; not fictitious or imaginary; as, a description of real life.
Whereat I waked, and foundBefore mine eyes all real, as the dreamHad lively shadowed.
Real
True; genuine; not artificial, counterfeit, or factitious; often opposed to ostensible; as, the real reason; real Madeira wine; real ginger.
Whose perfection far excelledHers in all real dignity.
Real
Relating to things, not to persons.
Many are perfect in men's humors that are not greatly capable of the real part of business.
Real
Having an assignable arithmetical or numerical value or meaning; not imaginary.
Real
Pertaining to things fixed, permanent, or immovable, as to lands and tenements; as, real property, in distinction from personal or movable property.
For he that but conceives a crime in thought,Contracts the danger of an actual fault.
Our simple ideas are all real; all agree to the reality of things.
Real
Any rational or irrational number
Real
An old small silver Spanish coin
Real
Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory;
Real objects
Real people; not ghosts
A film based on real life
A real illness
Real humility
Life is real! Life is earnest!
Real
No less than what is stated; worthy of the name;
The real reason
Real war
A real friend
A real woman
Meat and potatoes--I call that a real meal
It's time he had a real job
It's no penny-ante job--he's making real money
Real
Being or reflecting the essential or genuine character of something;
Her actual motive
A literal solitude like a desert
A genuine dilemma
Real
Not synthetic or spurious; of real or natural origin;
Real mink
True gold
Real
Not to be taken lightly;
Statistics demonstrate that poverty and unemployment are very real problems
To the man sleeping regularly in doorways homelessness is real
Real
Possible to be treated as fact;
Tangible evidence
His brief time as Prime Minister brought few real benefits to the poor
Real
Being value measured in terms of purchasing power;
Real prices
Real income
Real wages
Real
Having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary;
The substantial world
A mere dream, neither substantial nor practical
Most ponderous and substantial things
Real
(of property) fixed or immovable;
Real property consists of land and buildings; real estate
Real
Coinciding with reality;
Perceptual error...has a surprising resemblance to veridical perception
Real
Founded on practical matters;
A recent graduate experiencing the real world for the first time
Real
Used as intensifiers; `real' is sometimes used informally for `really'; `rattling' is informal;
She was very gifted
He played very well
A really enjoyable evening
I'm real sorry about it
A rattling good yarn
Real
Existing or occurring as fact.
The threats turned out to be Real.
Real
Not artificial or imitation.
She wears Real diamonds, not cubic zirconia.
Common Curiosities
Does "Real" mean the same as "true"?
Not always. While both indicate genuineness, "Real" focuses on actual existence, whereas "true" emphasizes correctness or accuracy.
Is "Ideal" always unattainable?
Not necessarily. While the "Ideal" represents a standard, sometimes it can be achieved, but often it serves as a goal to strive toward.
Can something be both "Ideal" and "Real"?
Yes, if a reality aligns perfectly with an established standard, it can be both "Ideal" and "Real".
Is "Ideal" subjective?
Often, yes. What's "Ideal" for one might not be for another, as it can be influenced by personal beliefs or cultural norms.
Are "Real" emotions genuine?
Yes, "Real" emotions are genuine, authentic feelings.
Is the opposite of "Ideal" always "Real"?
No, the opposite of "Ideal" could be "imperfect" or "flawed", while "Real" can oppose "imaginary" or "fake".
Can "Real" refer to currency?
Yes, in economics, "Real" can indicate values adjusted for inflation.
Does "Real" always imply truth?
No, "Real" mainly implies existence or tangibility, not necessarily truth.
Is "Ideal" often used in philosophical contexts?
Yes, especially in discussing perfect forms or concepts.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
