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
As a ruthless hitman (Javier Bardem) tries to track him down, the local sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) tries to make sense of it all and faces an existential crisis about the senseless violence of the world today.
—
Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Anchored by a mesmerizing lead performance from Cemre Paksoy, the film blends scam-call paranoia, erotic fixation, and existential dread into a vision that’s difficult to shake even in a trailer that’s barely two minutes long.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 June 2026
Underlying the debate is an intense competition for public school students, which has become an existential threat in an era of sharply declining enrollment, especially given the reality that school districts are funded based on enrollment.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
And then there’s the existential threat from within to our country’s very existence.
—Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Anchored by a mesmerizing lead performance from Cemre Paksoy, the film blends scam-call paranoia, erotic fixation, and existential dread into a vision that’s difficult to shake even in a trailer that’s barely two minutes long.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 June 2026
Underlying the debate is an intense competition for public school students, which has become an existential threat in an era of sharply declining enrollment, especially given the reality that school districts are funded based on enrollment.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
And then there’s the existential threat from within to our country’s very existence.
—Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
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However, despite popular anecdotal evidence that kratom can ease opioid addiction withdrawal symptoms, there is empirical evidence that kratom itself can become addictive.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
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Only 2 percent of investments have gone to circular businesses, according to estimates in the Circularity Gap Report Finance in 2025, the world’s first empirical study that quantified the financial streams to circular business models.—
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Perrotta’s novels have been lavishly praised for their uncanny ability to articulate dark, often uncomfortable emotional truths of American culture, using humor and sharp observational skills to explore profound shifts in how people communicate and coexist.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
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Despite the promise of GLP-1 drugs with cancer, most studies to date have been observational studies and do not prove that these drugs can reduce the risk of cancer.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Over the next five weeks the below list will be updated and informed by The Athletic’s new player ratings model, being launched for this summer’s tournament in North America, which will provide an objective assessment of each player’s contribution in a match.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
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Fans don’t need their local color commentators to be objective or analytical.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Five orphaned black bears from Nevada, El Dorado and Calaveras counties survived winter hibernation and were healthy and active following an experimental rehabilitation effort, California wildlife officials said.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
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This year’s 10-day-long edition brought together an international slate of independent films across narrative, documentary, animation, experimental and short-form categories.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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