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
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
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
The United States, of course, cannot share everything—physical or ideational—with its partners.
—Thomas G. Mahnken, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2024
This ideational convergence, deepened by two decades of accumulating trust between India and the United States, has enhanced the strategic partnership and set the stage for even closer cooperation in the future.
—Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2020
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
Einstein’s theories as ideational relativism.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 3 May 2021
And the Trump Administration is taking concrete steps to encourage this ideational fusion.
—Time, 13 Dec. 2019
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
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
The United States, of course, cannot share everything—physical or ideational—with its partners.
—Thomas G. Mahnken, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2024
This ideational convergence, deepened by two decades of accumulating trust between India and the United States, has enhanced the strategic partnership and set the stage for even closer cooperation in the future.
—Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2020
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
Einstein’s theories as ideational relativism.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 3 May 2021
And the Trump Administration is taking concrete steps to encourage this ideational fusion.
—Time, 13 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideational
Adjective
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With a degree in theoretical mathematics and geophysical fluid dynamics, Kapnick saw herself as uniquely positioned to take on that challenge.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
31 May 2025
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This recent study, which does just that, studied two theoretical Population III stars: one 13 times as massive as the sun, and one 200 times as massive.—
Robin George Andrews,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Cage’s haunted delivery, contrasting powerfully with Knell’s anxious, terrified giggling, gives the scene a metaphysical kick.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 May 2025
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The Hormone Monsters were soon joined by a full menagerie of metaphysical beings, from the Shame Wizard (David Thewlis) to the Depression Kitty (Jean Smart) to the Anxiety Mosquito (Maria Bamford).—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Awe emerges from encounters with vastness — whether physical, conceptual, or moral — that challenge our existing mental frameworks.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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The conceptual plan from Property Markets Group for the roughly nine-acre site at 520 Callahan Dr. calls for 1,000 apartments, 725 of which would be affordable, and incorporates a grocery store in the development.—
Tyler Williams,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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These abstract compositions at times appear to coalesce into visual language systems—in Dream, 2024, for example, repeating geometric motifs suggest the formation of glyphs—thereby establishing an intimate dialogue between mother and daughter that transcends delineations of space and time.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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This confirmation turns what might seem like abstract statistics into something very real.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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This definition also includes instance in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity (include due to the influence of drugs or alcohol) or because of age.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2025
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Without supervision or regulation, kids can easily stumble upon explicit material, including violent and extremist content, that can lead to mental distress, desensitization and a warped perception of the world around them.—
Richard Wistocki,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Amodei's warning about AI's acceleration on intellectual tasks shows that static expertise now has a short shelf life.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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While today’s Bottega, previously under Matthieu Blazy, is celebrated for its intellectual tailoring and soft sculpture, the throughline is clear: elevated restraint, bold subtlety, and a commitment to letting the clothes (and craft) speak.—
Karissa Mitchell,
Essence,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ideational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideational. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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