Synonyms of theoretical

theoretical

adjective

ˌthē-ə-ˈre-ti-kəl 

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

• hypothetical
• speculative
• conjectural
• academic
• conceptual
• abstract
• suppositional
• metaphysical
• intellectual
• proposed
• alleged
• assumed
• presumed
• debatable
• unproven
• unproved
• supposed
• moot
• untested
• presupposed
• nonclinical
• nonempirical
• nonpractical

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• actual
• real
• practical
• factual
• clinical
• concrete
• definite
• distinct
• defined
• empirical
• demonstrated
• confirmed
• observational
• established
• tested
• proven
• validated
• substantiated
• attested
• verified
• authenticated
• time-tested
• nontheoretical
• nonspeculative

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

• metaphysical
• conceptual
• abstract
• speculative
• mental
• intellectual
• ideal
• spiritual
• hypothetical
• notional
• ideational
• cosmic
• transcendental
• invisible
• conjectural
• immaterial
• romantic
• intangible
• utopian
• impractical
• imperceptible
• nonphysical
• ethereal
• nonmaterial
• incorporeal
• transcendent
• unreal
• insubstantial
• visionary
• unsubstantial
• impalpable
• insensible

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• concrete
• physical
• substantial
• tangible
• material
• actual
• appreciable
• observable
• visible
• sensible
• real
• discernible
• noticeable
• perceptible
• definite
• detectable
• distinct
• nonabstract
• factual
• palpable
• defined

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of theoretical

That might have been an amusing legal omission when the question was theoretical. — Jonathan Flora Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The blockbuster trilogy of papers in the late 1990s showed that, mathematically, these two theoretical worlds (the AdS interior and the CFT surface) are the same. — Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026

And by the time WarnerMount closes, the First Amendment question of how much room journalists really have to push back on their employers may not feel so theoretical to tired CBS employees or new CNN staff. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026

The spaceship’s design was crafted by artist Matt Jefferies in collaboration with Gene Roddenberry based on a combination of Golden Age sci-fi art and theoretical aerospace engineering concepts. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026