What part of speech is the word ideal?

The word "ideal" can be a few different parts of speech, depending on how it's used in a sentence:

* Adjective: When describing something as perfect or the best possible, like "This is the ideal location for a picnic."

* Noun: When referring to a perfect or ultimate standard or model, like "He strived to live up to his ideals."

* Verb: While less common, "ideal" can be a verb meaning "to form an ideal of," like "She idealized her childhood."

So, the part of speech of "ideal" depends on its context within the sentence.