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
This scenario is not just a theoretical possibility.
—
Gene Berdichevsky, Fortune, 14 May 2026
If progress continues without moral accountability, the damage will not be theoretical.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Despite the theoretical threat of Semenyo on the right against Brentford, City kept going left.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 13 May 2026
The project has already moved beyond the theoretical stage.
—Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for theoretical
Gene Berdichevsky, Fortune, 14 May 2026
If progress continues without moral accountability, the damage will not be theoretical.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Despite the theoretical threat of Semenyo on the right against Brentford, City kept going left.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 13 May 2026
The project has already moved beyond the theoretical stage.
—Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for theoretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theoretical
Adjective
-
Polls show Donalds and Moody both ahead against any hypothetical Democratic opponent, and both are expected to be well funded, with plenty of national GOP support.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
The catch is that those tools have to be applied to real decisions, not hypothetical ones.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mercifully, those connections are not forged across time and space; all three stories remain discrete, never approaching a moment of grandiose metaphysical convergence.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Conversations might turn to metaphysical issues or charitable activities.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Out of these theories, the last seemed the most speculative, personal, and, therefore, pertinent.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Although in-hand images aren’t yet available, a speculative mock-up was provided which is said to accurately depict the upcoming release.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
The study’s scope includes an optional component — triggered only if the initial assessment warrants it — that would produce a conceptual design and site plan for a potential eastern substation, including cost estimates.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
-
Progress may require creative conceptual innovation.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Projections of economic gains from major sporting events are typically optimistic, euphoric, chimerical or conjectural.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
-
That statistic is somewhat conjectural, since the vast majority of rapes in India are apparently not reported.—
Mark Jenkins,
Washington Post,
7 Nov. 2023
Adjective
-
Na sits in the corner of a Côte d’Azur waterfront lounge on a glorious midday, the sky an almost abstract blue.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
-
And this sense of mutual alienation, of being neither here nor there, that Franny and Elliott live with suggests that the political is no longer seen from a potentially abstract place and finally bleeds into realm of the personal.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her character’s mental unraveling was mirrored in real life when Lasser, at the height of her celebrity and just weeks after Mary’s breakdown episode aired, hosted Saturday Night Live.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
On top of that, there is a serious mental component.—
Nicole Williams,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Theoretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theoretical. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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