The adjective ideal , derived from the Latin word idoneus , is used to describe that or that which is convenient, correct or conducive to something . The term can refer to a person, an object or a situation.
For example: “I think this team is ideal for a player like the Argentine,” “The analyst considered that devaluation is not the ideal mechanism to get out of the economic crisis ,” “This car is ideal for getting around the city since it It is small and consumes little fuel.”
What is ideal is appropriate for a certain purpose or in a certain context. Suppose that a family consisting of a father, mother and two children (one 12 years old and another 15 years old) is looking for a home to move into. The father is an accountant and works from home; The mother, meanwhile, is a housewife and has gardening as a hobby. The ideal property for this family, therefore, would be one that has three bedrooms (one for the couple, another for the eldest son and the third for the youngest son), an area that can be used as an office and a garden. However, the ideal is not always accessible. That is why the family group may end up moving to a house with two bedrooms or an apartment (flat) without a garden.
Let's take the case of a football club that is looking to hire a striker to strengthen its team. The coach aims to have a goal-scoring footballer who is fast and skilled. The leaders, after analyzing the market, consider that there is a young man who is ideal to satisfy the coach's desire: he scored 25 goals in the last championship, has great skill and stands out for his speed.
Let's look at some of the most common synonyms for the word suitable , according to the results of the most important dictionaries on the Internet: adequate, suitable, ideal, competent, useful, appropriate , capable and convenient . Regarding antonyms, we can mention the following two: inappropriate and inept . Most of the terms just mentioned in the list of synonyms respond to the definition set forth in the previous paragraphs; However, one of them stands out and leads us to a fairly common confusion: "ideal."
The word ideal is often confused with ideal and, although even dictionaries present them as synonyms, they have a quite marked difference. While something or someone ideal is suitable for a situation or for another person, the concept of ideal refers to that which is close to perfection .
If we analyze this difference from another point of view, we can say that a suitable thing or person exists, it is found on the plane of reality, regardless of whether or not the individual interested in it can reach it. On the other hand, the ideal is usually part of the plane of utopia ; If it exists, it is also possible that the subject will stop considering it ideal once he gets closer to it and knows its defects.
Let's take again the example of the family that wants to move into a house with certain requirements. Given their needs , they have in mind a criterion for an ideal house, which has enough space and number of rooms so that all members can live comfortably and make use of their time in the best possible way. This is an adequate property, but not perfect.
Throughout their search, they can imagine their ideal home, which has more amenities than necessary, and is probably located by the sea or in the mountains, although this is not practical in reality. If, in any case, they found it and moved, the eventual and inevitable problems would cause its state of perfection to fade, and perhaps the label of "ideal" would pass to a new house.