thought experiment

noun

: gedankenexperiment

Examples of thought experiment in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That combination makes the AGI debate harder to dismiss as a distant thought experiment. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026 Here’s the thought experiment that makes this concrete for me. — Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2026 What The Paperclip Maximizer Predicted Most people who have heard one AI safety thought experiment have heard this one. — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 To start things off, let’s entertain a thought experiment. — Stefan Szymanski, Fortune, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for thought experiment

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thought experiment was in 1854

Rhymes for thought experiment

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Browse Nearby Words

thoughten
thought experiment
thoughtful
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Cite this Entry

“Thought experiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thought%20experiment. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thought experiment

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