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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The cycle resembled theoretical versions of a Big Bang followed by a Big Crunch, a scenario in which the universe’s expansion eventually reverses.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
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Though theoretical predictions suggest quantum systems could accelerate AI optimization tasks by 10^6 or more for specific problem classes, quantum machine learning remains experimental.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Mystical, metaphysical, and frequently touched by whimsy, his boundary-breaking work reflected his abiding interest in Surrealists such as Joseph Cornell, Giorgio di Chirico, and René Magritte.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
12 June 2026
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Some of the dialogue feels like Harrison’s own metaphysical musings rather than characters’ speech.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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The point of using different types of corn in the mashbill is to explore how less common varietals affect the flavor of the whiskey, which if taken to another conceptual level should influence how the wood will affect another spirit aged in the barrels.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
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Pre-submittal meetings are optional and go over conceptual or preliminary designs for commercial projects.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Everything about the place signals a level of unrestricted aesthetic devotion at which money seems almost an abstract annoyance.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
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The shifting colors of the river could inspire a series of abstract canvases.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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In a pre-Olympic event on the new track in Milan-Cortina, Meyers Taylor was experimenting, making mental navigational notes, also part of the long-range plan.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
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While the ghost stories dominate popular culture, the site also provides a window into the evolving history of mental-health care and institutional medicine.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Between 1926 and 1946, Galentz became further entrenched in Beirut’s artistic and intellectual circles at a time that was both politically fragile and saw the transformation of the city into a cosmopolitan hub.—
The Editors of ARTnews,
ARTnews.com,
12 June 2026
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That requires intentional engagement and evaluation of assumptions and maintaining intellectual curiosity instead of outsourcing thought completely.—
Kevin Brady,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ideational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideational. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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