existential

adjective

ˌeg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shəl How to pronounce existential (audio)
Definition of existentialnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of existential Now our early middle age is marked by inflation, environmental chaos, and AI’s potentially existential threat to job stability. — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 The 2026 season will be a prove-it year for both Lagway and Sellers, with the lingering questions from opponents remaining existential. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 24 July 2026 The drama has turned existential as each party faces a moment of reckoning. — Jill Colvin, Fortune, 23 July 2026 For an industry in which even subtle shifts in temperature or humidity can transform a harvest’s value, increasing extremes and unpredictability pose an existential threat. — Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
  1. empirical
  2. observational
  3. objective
  4. experimental
Adjective
  • Sustained high performance by firms that treat customer value as primary remains the strongest empirical rebuttal.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • So far, though, the empirical pattern in fields like software, law, medicine, and content translation is that demand for human work shifts and grows as AI spreads.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 July 2026
Definition of empirical
Adjective
  • Experts emphasized that observational studies show association rather than direct causation.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • Researchers now have access to longer and better observational records from weather stations, satellites and other monitoring systems.
    — Deepti Singh, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
Definition of observational
Adjective
  • The hearing follows a White House report that argued the Smithsonian Institution had abandoned objective scholarship in favor of progressive activism.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 21 July 2026
  • The 50mm objective lenses are the benchmark for stargazing binoculars and are able to deliver bright views of the night sky.
    — Harry Bennett, Space.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of objective
Adjective
  • Bardstown Bourbon Company, which is well known for indulging its experimental impulses, decided to blend together bourbon and rye and finish it in pineapple rum barrels with pieces of pineapple added to the whiskey for good measure.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The panel, several of whom are sellers of experimental peptides, dismissed the views of the agency’s staff, voting in favor of allowing compounding production of comparatively unregulated peptide treatments.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of experimental

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Cite this Entry

“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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