English → Latin
“ideal” in Latin
effigiēscopy, imitation; likeness, portrait, image, effigy, statuefōrmaform; figure, shape, appearance; fine form; beauty; outline, plan, designspecimenmark, token, sign, indication, specimen; example, pattern, model; ornament, honorspeciēsseeing, view, look; spectacle, sight; external appearance, looks; general outline or shapeexemplarmodel, pattern, example, original or ideal; copysimulācrumimage, likeness, statue, effigy, portrait; specter, ghost, phantom; mimicry, imitationbonusgood, honest, brave, noble, kind, pleasant; right; usefulsuperusabove, upper, higherperfectuscomplete; perfect; excellent; exquisite; talented; accomplished (of very high skill)pulcherbeautiful, fair, pretty; noble, honorable, excellent
The English word ideal itself goes back to Latin idea, through ideālis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
ideal s.
effigies (e.g., justi imperii, Cic.): forma (e.g., formam optimi exponere, Cic.): species et forma (e.g., excellentis eloquentiae speciem et formam adumbrare, Cic.): imago quaedam concepta animo (e.g., perfecti oratoris, ex nulla parte cessantis, Quint.): specimen (Cic., Tusc., 1, 14, 32; 5, 19, 95): undique expleta et perfecta alicujus rei forma (Vid: Cic., De Fin., 2, 15, extr.; or 2, extr.): ea species, quae semper est eadem (Sen.): species, quam cernimus animo, re ipsa non videmus (Cic.): species: forma et notio (e.g., boni viri, Cic.): exemplar: exemplar et forma: simulacrum: cogitata species: species eximia quaedam: quod cogitatione tantum et mente complectimur: *singularis quaedam summae perfectionis species animo informata: *singularis quaedam summae perfectionis imago animo et cogitatione concepta. The “ideal” of anything may also often be expressed by the adjectives optimus, summus, perfectissimus, pulcherrimus: *perfectus et omnibus numeris absolutus: The ideal of a state, civitas optima or perfectissima, or *imago civitatis, quam cogitatione tantum et mente complecti, nullo autem modo in vitam hominum introducere possumus; exemplar rei publicae et forma: the ideal of eloquence, optima species et quasi figura dicendi (Cic.); eloquentiae excellentis species et forma: my ideal of eloquence, ea, quam sentio, eloquentia (Cic., Or., 6, 23): to strive after the ideal, *summam aliquam perfecti speciem sequi: to describe the ideal of a great orator, summum oratorem fingere: to describe in Cyrus the ideal of a good ruler, Cyrum ad effigiem justi imperii scribere: Demosthenes, the ideal of a great orator, Demosthenes ille, norma oratoris et regula.
ideal adj.
animo comprehensus non sensibus (Cic.). Often by optimus, summus, perfectissimus: perfectus et omnibus numeris absolutus: pulcherrimus: quo nihil praestantius cogitari or fingi potest (= as perfect as can be conceived), or by circumlocution with ad cogitationem tantummodo valere (Cic.); non sensu, sed mente cerni (Cic.); quod cernimus animo, re ipsa non videmus (after Cic.; i. e., too perfect to have been ever realized): Ideal beauty, pulchritudo, quae est supra veram: decor, qui est supra verum (as abstract notion). An ideal beauty, mulier, cujus formae decor additus est supra verum (Quint.): mulier omnibus simulacris emendatior. Ideal wisdom, sapientia, quam adhuc mortalis nemo est consecutus. That ideal notion of anything, illa umbra, quod vocant aliquid (e.g., quod vocant honestum non tam solido quam splendido nomine; of an unreal notion): the ideal perfection at which I aim, id quod volumus (Cic., Or., 6, 22).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for ideal?
- The usual Latin words for “ideal” are effigiēs, fōrma, specimen; also speciēs, exemplar, simulācrum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.