as in theoretical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
ideograms are ideational—they are meant to suggest some general idea and not a particular word or phrase
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Recent Examples of ideational
Constructivists’ major argument is that world politics is as much ideational as material and that relations among states depend on norms as much as on military or economic power.
—
Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2025
These ideational shifts, influenced by both global narratives and local aspirations, are increasingly shaping how Indians approach relationships.
—Anuradha Gupta, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The ideational content of the image — a man killing another man on a public sidewalk — is only half the message.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
This process, which Doten-Snitker and her coauthors term ideational diffusion, often took many years as people in towns and cities needed time to digest new ideas about witchcraft and turn them into behavior.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2024
Steven Spielberg extends Griffith’s and Ford’s historical insight through an astonishing mix of visual and ideational dialectics.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 June 2023
Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2025
These ideational shifts, influenced by both global narratives and local aspirations, are increasingly shaping how Indians approach relationships.
—Anuradha Gupta, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
The ideational content of the image — a man killing another man on a public sidewalk — is only half the message.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
This process, which Doten-Snitker and her coauthors term ideational diffusion, often took many years as people in towns and cities needed time to digest new ideas about witchcraft and turn them into behavior.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2024
Steven Spielberg extends Griffith’s and Ford’s historical insight through an astonishing mix of visual and ideational dialectics.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideational
Adjective
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Artificial Intelligence has evolved from a theoretical concept to a prevailing element of daily life.—
Kemba Walden,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
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Some of the capacities cited may also represent theoretical potential or systems that are not consistently operating at full scale.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The exhibition embraces contradiction, images that are grotesque and sacred, humorous and terrifying, physical and metaphysical.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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Glenn Turner Turner is a leftist Oakland activist who retired after running a metaphysical and pagan shop for 30 years.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Where these collections once prioritized open-toed sandals and breezy silhouettes, more ostentatious and conceptual collections have instead followed suit.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
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The Pre-Development Agreement includes a conceptual master plan for the redevelopment of the Lincolnwood Town Center, consisting of a large retail store with a footprint of about 150,000 – 175,000 square feet, an automobile dealership, and additional commercial and retail uses, the release said.—
Pioneer Press,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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While the term sounds abstract, the idea is straightforward.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
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Also on display at Greene Naftali are a number of his immobile fabric figures and abstract line drawings.—
Dawn Chan,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The people behind Fire in the Mountains have teamed with the Firekeeper Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention and mental wellness for the Blackfeet Nation community, making the festival’s raison d’être feel more noble than your standard summer shindig.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
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The sheep rise to the occasion and use all the mental mystery-solving skills George and his stories have left behind.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Such an education feeds their curiosity, safeguards their intellectual humility, and develops their capacity for empathy.—
Steven F. Wilson,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
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The pair bonded immediately through an insatiable intellectual exchange — conversations that formed the basis of many of LaSota’s future blog posts — as well as their experiences navigating their respective gender transitions.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ideational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideational. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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