Mitteideaalsed

Mitteideaalsed is an Estonian adjective meaning not ideal or non-ideal. It describes conditions, objects, or outcomes that do not meet an ideal standard. The term is formed by combining the negation prefix mitte- with ideaalsed, the adjectival form related to ideaalne (ideal). In usage, mitteideaalsed denotes a deviation from an ideal model or expectation and is commonly used to qualify nouns.

Common contexts include everyday speech and analytical writing. Examples include mitteideaalsed tingimused (non-ideal conditions), mitteideaalsed lahendused (not ideal solutions), and mitteideaalsed omadused (not ideal features). In scientific or economic discussion, it can contrast with idealized assumptions or models to emphasize real-world imperfection.

Etymology and usage notes: The term is built from the negating prefix mitte- and the plural-like form ideaalsed. It is typically used in plural or plural-adjective form to modify nouns, though context usually clarifies number and case. The closest English equivalents are non-ideal or not ideal.

See also: ideaalne, non-ideality, imperfection. In English-language contexts the concept is often discussed as non-ideality, deviation from an ideal model, or suboptimal conditions.