IDEATIONAL Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

ideational

adjective

ˌī-dē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nəl

Definition of ideational

as in theoretical

dealing with or expressing a quality or idea ideograms are ideational—they are meant to suggest some general idea and not a particular word or phrase

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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 ideational The pact was a disaster for the Popular Front, but the severing of the ideational link between Communism and antifascism probably helped the antifascist cause at home. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Constructivists’ major argument is that world politics is as much ideational as material and that relations among states depend on norms as much as on military or economic power. — Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2025 These ideational shifts, influenced by both global narratives and local aspirations, are increasingly shaping how Indians approach relationships. — Anuradha Gupta, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 The ideational content of the image — a man killing another man on a public sidewalk — is only half the message. — F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025 This process, which Doten-Snitker and her coauthors term ideational diffusion, often took many years as people in towns and cities needed time to digest new ideas about witchcraft and turn them into behavior. — Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2024 Steven Spielberg extends Griffith’s and Ford’s historical insight through an astonishing mix of visual and ideational dialectics. — Armond White, National Review, 28 June 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideational

Adjective

Drawing on the theoretical work of economist Hyman Minsky, Kindleberger went through centuries of economic history and saw a recurring pattern.

— Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
There are scores of results across not just number theory but also geometry and theoretical computer science that the proofs of quasi-Riemann will, in a swift stroke, establish as mathematical truths.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of theoretical

Adjective

The best moments on records like Redemption, Blackheart, and Second Line use her knack for grand, metaphysical metaphors to charge her singing with epic stakes.

— Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Our work re-imagines these ancient tombs as theatrical spaces, built to perpetuate a form of metaphysical human experience.

— Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of metaphysical

Adjective

That caught the attention of his professor Allan Sekula, a conceptual artist who married photography and text to create installations that explored issues of labor and trade.

— Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
According to the council agenda report, the original plan included a conceptual design for as much as 250,000 square feet of commercial development at the site.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of conceptual

Adjective

Instead, applicants must complete a seven-step process that includes personality and abstract reasoning tests.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Only two abstract paintings from the artist have been sold at auction in more than three decades, according to Louise Wrede, the head of Bukowskis art department.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of abstract

Adjective

The mental toll that comes with Ebola Losing relatives to disease outbreaks is always difficult, but responders say grief can be especially severe with Ebola in a country where the disease is viewed by many as evil due to rumors and misconceptions.

— Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Their alluring quality belies their extreme toxicity; at times used as a hallucinogen, their ingestion can cause severe mental confusion and even death.

— Tatiane de Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of mental

Adjective

Walzer thought the matter through aloud with me, at one point letting out a small chuckle at his intellectual perplexity.

— Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
The 500-piece collection reflects the Black writers who have shaped her intellectual and artistic growth.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of intellectual

Browse Nearby Words

ideation

ideational

idée fixe

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“Ideational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideational. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ideational

adjective

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