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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Recent Examples of existential
Gracia Grande, the program officer at the Salvadoran branch of the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, told CNN that the law is an existential threat to her NGO’s work.
—
Michael Rios, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
Martina Albertazzi | Bloomberg | Getty Images During the depths of the Covid pandemic, with restaurants around the country facing an existential crisis, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu had an unconventional proposal.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 31 May 2025
Some observers see in Google’s latest moves nothing short of an existential threat to the open web — and, by extension, to digital journalism.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
The issues of direct funding, provision of overhead, and student visas are important (existential to some schools) and will presumably be litigated and resolved over time.
—Jeffrey Herbst, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Michael Rios, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
Martina Albertazzi | Bloomberg | Getty Images During the depths of the Covid pandemic, with restaurants around the country facing an existential crisis, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu had an unconventional proposal.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 31 May 2025
Some observers see in Google’s latest moves nothing short of an existential threat to the open web — and, by extension, to digital journalism.
—Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
The issues of direct funding, provision of overhead, and student visas are important (existential to some schools) and will presumably be litigated and resolved over time.
—Jeffrey Herbst, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
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While Marcus has been making similar arguments for years and is known for his AI skepticism, the new research provides fresh empirical support for his particular brand of criticism.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2025
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The research provides the first comprehensive empirical look at how these systems actually work, offering insights that could reshape Fourth Amendment jurisprudence.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Proper mild cognitive impairment diagnosis requires a cognitive complaint by the patient or family member, objective evidence of cognitive impairment on testing, preserved independence in daily functioning, and confirmation that the person does not meet criteria for dementia.—
Nawab John Dar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2025
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Though my objective portrayals may not appear overtly loving, there is love in the motivation behind them.—
Lydia Davis,
Harpers Magazine,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Sadly, the label would have none of that experimental nonsense.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
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Indie Animation Finds Its Footing Despite the often overwhelming Hollywood presence, Annecy’s programming carved out space for independent, international and experimental work.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
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