existential

adjective

ex·​is·​ten·​tial ˌeg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shəl How to pronounce existential (audio)
ˌek-(ˌ)si-
1
: of, relating to, or affirming existence
existential propositions
2
a
: grounded in existence or the experience of existence : empirical
b
: having being in time and space
3
existentially adverb

Examples of existential in a Sentence

child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim believed that fairy tales help children cope with their existential anxieties and dilemmas
Recent Examples on the Web For the Maldives, an archipelagic country in the Indian Ocean, climate change already poses an existential threat. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 In other words, The Three-Body Problem is a cerebral epic about human ingenuity in the face of an existential crisis. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2024 Overall, the story is considered quite progressive — one of the book’s early champions was Barack Obama — and many consider its tale of how humanity deals with an existential threat a perfect allegory for the climate change crisis (a comparison that’s also given a nod in the show). James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Mar. 2024 Distant reservoirs and underground wells are drying up as leaders belatedly confront an existential dilemma. Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Beyond that, the move reflects what is happening to scores of houses of worship nationwide facing existential threats such as declining membership, aging congregations and an unwinnable financial situation. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Spending trillions of dollars on endless wars and defense contracts is not going to address the existential threat of climate change or the likelihood of future pandemics. Bernie Sanders, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024 Two decades ago, in the years after Sept. 11, the existential fear many New Yorkers carried with them on the way to their morning commute was the prospect of a deadly terrorist bombing underground. Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The whole thing has thrown life into an existential tailspin, and turned his status as Ryder’s go-to guy into a thing of the past. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'existential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin existentiālis, exsistentiālis, from existentia, exsistentia existence + Latin -ālis -al entry 1; in the 19th and 20th centuries in part as translation of Danish existentiel (later eksistentiel) & German existentiell

Note: Compare "Existentielt Indlæg" ("existential contribution") in the subtitle of Søren Kierkegaard's Afsluttende uvidenskabelig Efterskrift til de philosophiske Smuler (1846; Concluding Unscientific Postscript to the Philosophical Fragments), used also elsewhere in the work.

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of existential was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near existential

Cite this Entry

“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/existential. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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