1. A portrayal of something as ideal
   "the idealization of rural life was very misleading"
   - idealisation [Brit], glorification 
2. (psychiatry) a defence mechanism that splits something you are ambivalent about into two representations--one good and one bad
   - idealisation [Brit] 
3. Something that exists only as an idea
   - idealisation [Brit]

Derived forms: idealizations

See also: idealize

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

• blankly
• blankness
• blanquette
• blanquillo
• Blantyre
• blare
• blare out
• Blarina
• Blarina brevicauda
• blaring
• blarney
• Blarney Stone
• blaspheme
• blasphemer
• blasphemous
• blasphemously
• blasphemy
• blast
• blast furnace
• blast trauma
• blast wave
• blasted
• blastema
• blastemal
• blastematic