Noun: idealization I,dee-u-lu'zey-shun [N. Amer], I,dee-u-lI'zey-shun [Brit]
- A portrayal of something as ideal
"the idealization of rural life was very misleading";
- idealisation [Brit], glorification
- (psychiatry) a defence mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations — one good and one bad
"Her idealization of her childhood memories made it difficult to address past traumas";
- idealisation [Brit]
- Something that exists only as an idea
"His idealization of rural life didn't match the reality";
- idealisation [Brit]
Derived forms: idealizations
Type of: admiration, appreciation, defence [Brit, Cdn], defence mechanism [Brit, Cdn], defence reaction [Brit, Cdn], defense [US], defense mechanism [US], defense reaction [US], idea, thought
Encyclopedia: Idealization