thought experiment

noun

Examples of thought experiment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Physicists call such conditions Schrödinger cat states, named after Erwin Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026 The Two-Leader Thought Experiment Craze often begins his work with leaders using a deceptively simple thought experiment. Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026 To watch the video now is to inhabit a YouTube thought experiment. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Dec. 2025 Replace the person with a computer, and the thought experiment suggests that computer systems don’t understand information. Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thought experiment

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thought experiment was in 1854

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Cite this Entry

“Thought experiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thought%20experiment. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

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