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
Israel has all but destroyed Hezbollah, by far its most capable opponent, and has isolated Iran, arguably its most existential threat.
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Dylan Matthews, Vox, 2 Jan. 2025
Griff’s Vertigo and Porter Robinson’s Smile arrived within weeks of each other in July, picking up my existential dissection where Luke Hemmings’ Boy left off four months prior.
—Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2024
The holidays are an excellent time for an existential crisis.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2024
As to a hammer everything looks like a nail, so to the multitrillion-dollar military-industrial-security complex everything looks like an existential threat — even China building roads in the Solomon Islands or buying farmland in the United States.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for existential 
Dylan Matthews, Vox, 2 Jan. 2025
Griff’s Vertigo and Porter Robinson’s Smile arrived within weeks of each other in July, picking up my existential dissection where Luke Hemmings’ Boy left off four months prior.
—Rolling Stone, 28 Dec. 2024
The holidays are an excellent time for an existential crisis.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2024
As to a hammer everything looks like a nail, so to the multitrillion-dollar military-industrial-security complex everything looks like an existential threat — even China building roads in the Solomon Islands or buying farmland in the United States.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
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The Congressional Budget Office states that there does not appear to be any direct empirical evidence pointing to a medical cost offset.Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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The former is a matter of faith; the latter are empirical realities.Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But modern advances in brain scans and other more objective measures of understanding animal psychobiology continue to show more similarities.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025
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Color palettes emulate the yellowing fade of old photographs and the overly saturated or unnaturally cool tones of digital imagery, a reminder that the camera is rarely an objective observer.Carolina A. Miranda, ARTnews.com, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Attend is a new experimental digital and marketing platform offered by The Fithian Group that will match producers and filmmakers directly with theaters without requiring them to partner with a traditional distributor.Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025
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After separating from the first stage, the upper portion of the New Glenn rocket, carrying the experimental Blue Ring technology, fired up its own engine and continued to propel itself into orbit.Jackie Wattles, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to existential
Thesaurus Entries Near existential
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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