unattainable ideal/dream/goal etc• This is not an unattainable ideal, but a goal which you must pursue in order to avoid stagnation.• Electricity and water on tap were unattainable dreams for most, but then, nobody had much time to indulge in dreams.• The fact that there are fixed costs means perfectcompetition is an unattainable idealframework for retailing.• The prospect of a university education must appear as an unattainable dream: some are successful but these are exceptional cases.• That is, better an unattainable ideal than a limited attainable goal when it comes to the welfare of our fellow men.