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
Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Breaking new artists is among the more existential questions in the business.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Trump’s peace plan has backed Hamas into a corner, leaving the militant group to face an existential dilemma.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Are you beset by existential worries?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Breaking new artists is among the more existential questions in the business.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Trump’s peace plan has backed Hamas into a corner, leaving the militant group to face an existential dilemma.
—Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Are you beset by existential worries?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
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Today our data may be unassailably empirical, but our emotions are very much apocalyptic.—
Ed Simon
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
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Yet many mysteries remain, and plenty of myths and pseudoscientific claims surrounding the brain are still out there — many based on either misunderstandings of the empirical data or the misleading promises of hucksters.—
Kevin Dickinson,
Big Think,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After taking a more observational approach during his first year on the North Side, Counsell made some changes to his coaching staff and turned base running into a central focus.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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And what’s left is something very observational, minimal.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But objective wins — not subjective talent — determine who goes to the playoffs.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
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The present study set out to test whether harm was caused by those common pre-bed behaviors when measured with objective tools.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Formal equality was only achieved in 1971, when the Ministry of Justice authorized women to serve in external police duties, and the National Police Board ended the experimental program.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
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Each choice has reinforced her role as one of fashion’s most experimental footwear allies.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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