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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of existential
Both are seen by Gulf states as existential, and a quick exit from the war without an agreement could leave them exposed to repeat attacks for years to come.
—
Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
The current exhibition at MAF highlights how his cinematic works functioned as experimental analyses of 20th-century America, exploring themes of consumerism, authoritarianism, and the existential threat of nuclear war.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
When unimaginable tragedy strikes, the tone of Laxe’s film shifts to become an existential horror film, one of the most unforgettable of last year.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Liquor and convenience store owners see the ordinance as an existential threat, one that could rob them of between 30% and 50% of their revenue and perhaps lead to the shuttering of their stores.
—Eric Adler
march 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
The current exhibition at MAF highlights how his cinematic works functioned as experimental analyses of 20th-century America, exploring themes of consumerism, authoritarianism, and the existential threat of nuclear war.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
When unimaginable tragedy strikes, the tone of Laxe’s film shifts to become an existential horror film, one of the most unforgettable of last year.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Liquor and convenience store owners see the ordinance as an existential threat, one that could rob them of between 30% and 50% of their revenue and perhaps lead to the shuttering of their stores.
—Eric Adler
march 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for existential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for existential
Adjective
-
That's a bold claim, and one that needs a lot more empirical detail than the company laid out in its press release.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
-
For years, Republican lawmakers and education leaders have argued that sociology — especially high-enrollment introductory courses — has been overtaken by progressive ideology and strayed from empirical scholarship.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the results, researchers emphasized that the study was observational and cannot prove cause and effect.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Another is that the data is observational.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Episode 3 is a little more objective.—
William Earl,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This might be particularly impactful coming from a computer, which users subconsciously view as more objective than a human.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This was the fallacy that led to the rise of elegant, beautiful, and compelling scenarios — grand unification, supersymmetry, extra dimensions, and string theory — whose predictions simply don’t appear to match experimental reality in any measurable way.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This year’s Persistence of Vision Award celebrates experimental filmmaker and poet Lynne Sachs.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/existential. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
