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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of existential
Don Draper is his own brand of sad dad: the ’60s family patriarch whose existential crisis sends him bouncing between absurd heights of self-confidence and heartbreaking lows of absolute fraudulence.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Apr. 2025
But inhaling enough can turn the act of breathing into an existential hazard, prompting or worsening asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, and permanent lung damage.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
Coach Scott has an existential meltdown and wonders if the universe really does hate him.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
This represents an existential moment for Danea Palmer, a doctoral student in biochemistry.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Apr. 2025
But inhaling enough can turn the act of breathing into an existential hazard, prompting or worsening asthma, COPD, respiratory infections, and permanent lung damage.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
Coach Scott has an existential meltdown and wonders if the universe really does hate him.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
This represents an existential moment for Danea Palmer, a doctoral student in biochemistry.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
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Economists rarely find consensus—but the empirical evidence against sweeping tariffs is nearly unanimous.—
Christian Catalini,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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Some of Trump’s critics used sketchy arguments and weak empirical evidence to accuse Facebook and other social media services of having allowed Russian propagandists to manipulate Americans into voting for a leader with authoritarian predilections.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Consider these common scenarios: • A narcissistic leader may reject data that contradicts their opinion, disregarding objective insights.—
Nino Letteriello,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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That was an intentionally objective exercise, while the Player Tiers project is inherently more subjective.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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From Experiments To Enterprise-Wide Automation 2024 marked AI's experimental phase, with businesses testing isolated applications.—
Oleksandr Sheremeta,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The layoffs were so abrupt, staff said, that lab animals were left without staff to care for them and had to be euthanized, and an experimental mine used to test protective gear beneath the agency’s Pittsburgh campus was at risk of flooding and polluting the surrounding environment.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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