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
Relevance
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
Chinese dominance in biotechnology would have dire, even existential, consequences for our economy and our national security.
—
Sen. Todd Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
But Martin McDonagh’s masterful comedy starts off like a drama, then becomes a romance, then a thriller, before revealing itself to have been an existential morality tale all along.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
In countries where films have been reduced to mere by-products of the wider audiovisual industry, cinema itself faces an existential threat.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Are you beset by existential worries?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Sen. Todd Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
But Martin McDonagh’s masterful comedy starts off like a drama, then becomes a romance, then a thriller, before revealing itself to have been an existential morality tale all along.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
In countries where films have been reduced to mere by-products of the wider audiovisual industry, cinema itself faces an existential threat.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Are you beset by existential worries?
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
-
This work is a foundational step toward applying insights from fundamental physics to the empirical study of human creativity and complex decision-making processes.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Wilken repeatedly emphasized the three cases involve claims under antitrust law, not other areas of law, and whether other areas of law are impacted would require separate litigation, with evidence, testimony and empirical analysis.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Glenn co-authored a large observational study on the effects of the portfolio diet, which published in 2023.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
An observational study from the American Heart Association (AHA) examined five years of health records of 130,828 adults with insomnia, half of whom used melatonin for at least one year.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That same day, the moon will reach its first-quarter phase in Aquarius, reminding us to remain objective amidst the swirling intensity brought on by the sun’s journey through Scorpio.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The role of the traditional dining critic is to present authentic, objective restaurant experiences to the public.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
On Friday, the experimental singer released her third LP, Heroina — an ode to femininity that features collaborations with Karol G, Kenia Os, Pabllo Vittar, and Tokischa.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Shenzhou 21 is also carrying six types of experimental samples and four black mice for experiments related to reproduction in low Earth orbit.—
Andrew Jones,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share