as in empirical
based on observation or experience
child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim believed that fairy tales help children cope with their existential anxieties and dilemmas
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of existential
The early fears that Hamilton was an existential threat to the university seemed—so far, at least—unfounded.
—
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
But Bennet also struck an existential note, one bigger than just his election.
—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
30 June 2026
The far larger, existential question facing the industry today is whether leadership teams possess the vision to use this technology to fundamentally rewire how the enterprise operates.
—
Ali Hoss,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Extremists thrive on outrage, insisting that compromise is weakness and political opponents are existential enemies.
—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Ann Manov,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
But Bennet also struck an existential note, one bigger than just his election.
—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
30 June 2026
The far larger, existential question facing the industry today is whether leadership teams possess the vision to use this technology to fundamentally rewire how the enterprise operates.
—
Ali Hoss,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
Extremists thrive on outrage, insisting that compromise is weakness and political opponents are existential enemies.
—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
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These results are the empirical fuel SkyDrive needs to advance its certification process with Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) and, eventually, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
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While empirical evidence shows that heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer and more intense, the changes experienced by people around the world -- including how the heat impacts them both during the day and at night -- has not yet been well-studied, the researchers said.
Adjective
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That transition — from looking casually to carefully observing, first with powerful optics and then navigating with the naked eye — is what observational astronomy is all about.
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Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, observational studies suggested that moderate alcohol consumption might offer cardiovascular benefits.
Adjective
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An objective outsider can help challenge assumptions, ask difficult questions and provide a perspective that may be difficult to maintain from inside the situation.
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But the disagreement ultimately has less to do with objective criteria—such as the effects of climate change in Europe, which is warming twice as fast as the global average—than subjective questions about what constitutes an acceptable level of physical suffering and sacrifice.
Adjective
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Martha Skye Murphy, the British experimental singer-songwriter, and her longtime collaborator Roy Montgomery, the New Zealand guitar composer, will release their debut joint album via AD 93 on August 7.
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So the answer scientists came up with was to build some of the biggest, deepest, and most exotic experimental traps in scientific history … and then wait.
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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