[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

idealization \ide`aliza"tion\, n.
   1. the act or process of idealizing.
      1913 webster

   2. fine arts the representation of natural objects, scenes,
      etc., in such a way as to show their most important
      characteristics; the study of the ideal.
      1913 webster

   3. a defense mechanism that splits something one is
      ambivalent about into two representations -- one good and
      one bad. wordnet sense 1
      wordnet 1.5

   4. something that exists only as an idea. wordnet sense 2
      wordnet 1.5

   5. a protrayal of something as ideal. wordnet sense 3

   syn: glorification.
        wordnet 1.5

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

idealization
     n 1: a portrayal of something as ideal; "the idealization of
          rural life was very misleading" syn: idealisation, glorification
     2: psychiatry a defense mechanism that splits something you
        are ambivalent about into two representations--one good
        and one bad syn: idealisation
     3: something that exists only as an idea syn: idealisation
see also:
idealisation glorification 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

58 moby thesaurus words for "idealization":
   prospero, airiness, appearance, autism, autistic thinking,
   delusiveness, dematerialization, dereism, dereistic thinking,
   disembodiment, dreamery, etherealization, fallaciousness,
   false appearance, false light, false show, falseness,
   flight of fancy, ideal, idealism, ideality, illusionism,
   illusionist, illusiveness, imaginative exercise, immateriality,
   immaterialization, impracticality, magic, magic act, magic show,
   magician, play of fancy, prestidigitation, quixotism, quixotry,
   romance, romanticism, seeming, semblance, show, simulacrum,
   sleight of hand, sorcerer, sorcery, specious appearance,
   spiritualization, unactuality, unpracticalness, unrealism,
   unreality, unsubstantiality, unsubstantialization, utopianism,
   visionariness, wish fulfillment, wish-fulfillment fantasy,
   wishful thinking

Idealization >> I Words
Idealization, definition of term: Idealization
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