Is « idéal » masculine or feminine?

« idéal » is masculine. You say l'idéal.

Article forms

With the definite article l'idéal
With the indefinite article un idéal
With the partitive article de l'idéal

Plural

The plural is idéaux (les idéaux). A noun keeps its gender in the plural; only the article stops showing it.

Why the gender

idéal ends in -al. Nouns ending in -al are usually masculine, so idéal follows the pattern. The full rules by ending cover every common suffix.

Related words

Other common nouns that end the same way:

Common questions

Is « idéal » masculine or feminine?

« idéal » is masculine. You say l'idéal.

« l'idéal » hides the gender. Is « idéal » masculine or feminine?

It is masculine. The article shortens to « l'idéal » for both genders, but you say un idéal, not une idéal, and adjectives take the masculine form.


Check another word, or read the complete guide to French noun gender.