variants
also theoretic
1
as in hypothetical
existing only as an assumption or speculation
the merits of the new testing procedures are purely theoretical, since no one has ever used them before
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in metaphysical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
the theoretical musings in his new book are less engaging than the anecdote-driven arguments of his previous works
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of theoretical
But when the theoretical moves into the realm of the practical, all sorts of problems surface.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
One of them was Socolow, a theoretical physicist who had been leading an interdisciplinary environmental program at Princeton since 1971.
—
Maddie Stone,
ProPublica,
25 June 2026
Federal authorities say security threats against the festivities are more than theoretical.
—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
The experiment, which would run for 25 years, found just one-third the number of neutrinos coming from the sun that had been predicted in theoretical models.
—
Simon Frantz,
Quanta Magazine,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for theoretical
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
One of them was Socolow, a theoretical physicist who had been leading an interdisciplinary environmental program at Princeton since 1971.
—
Maddie Stone,
ProPublica,
25 June 2026
Federal authorities say security threats against the festivities are more than theoretical.
—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
The experiment, which would run for 25 years, found just one-third the number of neutrinos coming from the sun that had been predicted in theoretical models.
—
Simon Frantz,
Quanta Magazine,
24 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for theoretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theoretical
Adjective
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China has ratcheted up pressure on Tokyo after comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, which drew criticism from Beijing.
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The workshop’s facilitators posed a series of hypothetical adversarial actions, or vignettes, to the participants.
Adjective
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In both the real and metaphysical locations of the show, the backgrounds are all painted by hand, something which was pointed out took up a lot of time due to the number of paintings in the show and due to the number of montages.
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In the 18th century Samuel Johnson coined the term metaphysical poets to criticize Donne, John Cleveland, and Abraham Cowley.
Adjective
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Every speculative boom eventually ends.
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The next presidential election is more than two years away, but a speculative roster of names for both major parties has already emerged, with Newsom near the top of the list for the Democrats.
Adjective
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An artist's rendering of development of a conceptual moon base near the lunar south pole.
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The German conceptual artist and painter Rune Mields, who designed her own grave, has died at age 91.
Adjective
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The first two questions are too hypothetical and conjectural.
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Projections of economic gains from major sporting events are typically optimistic, euphoric, chimerical or conjectural.
Adjective
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Jackson Pollock opened the doors to abstract paintings like Thorn’s.
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These are not abstract statistics.
Adjective
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The Moon in your 1st House of Identity squares mental Mercury in your 10th House of Career, so personal needs may rub against professional expectations.
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Over the next year, expect to see a few more invasive BCI companies launch similar clinical trials with the goal of translating mental activity into spoken words.
Cite this Entry
“Theoretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theoretical. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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