The word 理想 is formed by combining two conceptual characters: 理 (lǐ), which represents "principle", "order", or the inherent reason of things, and 想 (xiǎng), which means "to think" or "a thought". Together, they create a compound where 理 modifies and elevates 想; it is not just any thought, but a "thought (or aspiration) based on principle or reason". This formation conceptualizes an ideal not as a fleeting fantasy, but as a reasoned and principled vision for the future, synthesizing rational structure with mental aspiration into a single guiding concept.