as in empirical
based on observation or experience
child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim believed that fairy tales help children cope with their existential anxieties and dilemmas
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Recent Examples of existential
Iran views this war as existential, assessing that painfully drawing out the conflict can prevent another return to fighting.
—
Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
With its stark staging, this Salesman also feels more like an existential, rather than particularly American, tragedy.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 2026
In the midst of a conflict seen as posing an existential threat to the regime that has ruled their country for nearly half a century, Khamenei has been conspicuously absent.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
During the filming of Life on Earth, mountain gorillas were facing an existential threat from poaching and habitat loss.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
With its stark staging, this Salesman also feels more like an existential, rather than particularly American, tragedy.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 2026
In the midst of a conflict seen as posing an existential threat to the regime that has ruled their country for nearly half a century, Khamenei has been conspicuously absent.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
During the filming of Life on Earth, mountain gorillas were facing an existential threat from poaching and habitat loss.
—Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
-
The leading option for this was developed by John Moffat in the same year that the Bullet Cluster’s empirical proof was released.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
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Sourcing Similar to other empirical approaches, sourcing analysis studies are also preoccupied with questions of audience voice, among wider questions of power and access to public debate.—
Daniel Jackson,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Adamson was involved in an observational study, published in 2024, of 30 combat veterans with traumatic brain injuries who underwent ibogaine treatment in Mexico.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
24 Apr. 2026
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The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, was a systematic review of 10 observational studies, which together included nearly 470,000 Americans between 15 and 39.—
Ciara McCarthy
April 20,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The network discontinued its long-standing school report cards, which had provided leaders with an objective measure of their schools’ quality, including not only student outcomes but also staff and student satisfaction.—
Steven F. Wilson,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
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In the 21st century, venues for opinionated public affairs content have proliferated in all forms of media, even those traditionally reserved for objective news.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As an experimental device, ITER will not generate electricity for the commercial grid.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
One is more of an experimental half-hour comedy.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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