theoretical

adjective

the·o·ret·i·cal | \ ˌthē-ə-ˈre-ti-kəl

, ˌthir-ˈe-ti-kəl\

variants: or less commonly theoretic \ ˌthē-ə-ˈre-tik

, ˌthir-ˈe-tik \

Definition of theoretical

1 : existing only in theory : hypothetical gave as an example a theoretical situation

2a : relating to or having the character of theory : abstract

b : confined to theory or speculation often in contrast to practical applications : speculative theoretical physics

3 : given to or skilled in theorizing a brilliant theoretical physicist

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Examples of theoretical in a Sentence

On a theoretical level, hiring more people seems logical. The idea is purely theoretical at this point. The danger is more than just a theoretical possibility.

Recent Examples on the Web

At this point, though, the risk is purely theoretical. — Jolene Edgar, Allure, "The Truth About Growth Factors in Skin Care and Why They're Controversial," 2 Aug. 2018 But Hawking’s careful theoretical work filled in some of the holes in physicists’ knowledge about black holes. — Christoph Adami, Newsweek, "How Stephen Hawking's Black Hole Discoveries Rewrote Physics of Space-Time," 19 Mar. 2018 In a 1965 paper, a colleague, Roger Penrose, had done the theoretical work to demonstrate that singularities could exist. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "Stephen Hawking, ground-breaking physicist, dead at 76," 14 Mar. 2018 These appearances aligned with a plucky wit that defined Hawking's personal life as much as his universe-shaking theoretical work. — Kyle Swenson, chicagotribune.com, "Stephen Hawking's secret to surviving his terrible condition? A sense of humor.," 14 Mar. 2018 Curtis made his discovery near the end of the 1910s, a decade that had been rife with theoretical explosions about the nature of the universe. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "How They Got the Black Hole Picture That Changed Science," 10 Apr. 2019 And maybe another indication that having a kid is still a very theoretical prospect for me. — Alyssa Mastromonaco, Marie Claire, "Alyssa Mastromonaco Explores Her Non-Decision to Not Have Kids," 5 Mar. 2019 The effort also aims to energize conservatives who might otherwise have sat out this November’s elections but now see a solid conservative majority on the nation’s highest court as more than a theoretical prospect. — Massimo Calabresi, Time, "With Justice Kennedy Gone, It's Trump's Court Now," 28 June 2018 Ratcliff and Eric Libby, a theoretical biologist at Umeå University in Sweden, proposed 4 years ago that a ratcheting effect took over, driving an inexorable increase in complexity. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "The momentous transition to multicellular life may not have been so hard after all," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'theoretical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.