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

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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 The Lanterns finale arrives at its existential quandary through a double-twist plot reveal. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026 Ibrahim has spent almost a decade helping Google DeepMind build artificial intelligence and stay ahead of the thorny ethical, and downright existential, questions that surround the rapidly advancing technology. — Corynn Winston, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026 Today, now that Silicon Valley’s nerd Prometheis have graduated from getting revenge on Rooney Mara to threatening the future of the human race, the kids are back for a more existential lament. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026 Two of them kept issuing warnings about slowing down and avoiding existential free-falls. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
  1. empirical
  2. observational
  3. objective
  4. experimental
Adjective
  • The risks posed by obesity, however, are based on more empirical data.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Both Fontaines were scouts well ahead of the deep empirical and objective analysis of baseball data — sabermetrics is the catchall term — that some believe has made scouts obsolete.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of empirical
Adjective
  • TikTok is a hotbed of beauty recommendations, but building a skin-care routine around products promoted on social media comes with risk, a small new observational study suggests.
    — Korin Miller, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The Roku Channel has greenlit Scarlett Holmes, a limited series that will star Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars, 2024’s F*** Marry Kill) as a descendant of Sherlock Holmes who has inherited the family’s observational powers.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of observational
Adjective
  • Oklahoma Voice provides original, objective reporting examining the intersection of policy, impact and power.
    — Dara Kass, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • On an objective level, this is so close to n log n that the distinction almost doesn’t matter.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of objective
Adjective
  • The people-watching can be just as good as the art, as creative types from around the city come here to find inspiration—especially during the summer months, when the museum throws its popular experimental music parties called Warm Up.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Elsewhere, Arca took festival glam into more experimental territory with graphic liner and a delicate flush of pink, while Elisha Herbert embraced a smoky, high-shine look for Mugler.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 10 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2026.

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