as in theoretical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
ideograms are ideational—they are meant to suggest some general idea and not a particular word or phrase
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Recent Examples of ideational
The ideational content of the image — a man killing another man on a public sidewalk — is only half the message.
—
F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
This process, which Doten-Snitker and her coauthors term ideational diffusion, often took many years as people in towns and cities needed time to digest new ideas about witchcraft and turn them into behavior.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2024
The ideational content of the image — a man killing another man on a public sidewalk — is only half the message.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
The United States, of course, cannot share everything—physical or ideational—with its partners.
—Thomas G. Mahnken, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2024
This ideational convergence, deepened by two decades of accumulating trust between India and the United States, has enhanced the strategic partnership and set the stage for even closer cooperation in the future.
—Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2020
Steven Spielberg extends Griffith’s and Ford’s historical insight through an astonishing mix of visual and ideational dialectics.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 June 2023
Einstein’s theories as ideational relativism.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 3 May 2021
And the Trump Administration is taking concrete steps to encourage this ideational fusion.
—Time, 13 Dec. 2019
F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
This process, which Doten-Snitker and her coauthors term ideational diffusion, often took many years as people in towns and cities needed time to digest new ideas about witchcraft and turn them into behavior.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2024
The ideational content of the image — a man killing another man on a public sidewalk — is only half the message.
—F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
The United States, of course, cannot share everything—physical or ideational—with its partners.
—Thomas G. Mahnken, Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2024
This ideational convergence, deepened by two decades of accumulating trust between India and the United States, has enhanced the strategic partnership and set the stage for even closer cooperation in the future.
—Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2020
Steven Spielberg extends Griffith’s and Ford’s historical insight through an astonishing mix of visual and ideational dialectics.
—Armond White, National Review, 28 June 2023
Einstein’s theories as ideational relativism.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 3 May 2021
And the Trump Administration is taking concrete steps to encourage this ideational fusion.
—Time, 13 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideational
Adjective
-
My expertise in information technology over a 30-year journey often requires an immersion of innovative technologies, such as AI, to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application.—
Deanna Laster,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
-
And the consequences of those delays were not theoretical.—
Dr. Shelley Sella,
Time,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
Shauna speaks with Jackie all the time, but this was sort of a new metaphysical space for the show.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Cage’s haunted delivery, contrasting powerfully with Knell’s anxious, terrified giggling, gives the scene a metaphysical kick.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
That was one of our key conceptual rules or guidelines.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
13 June 2025
-
Proposals were submitted by May 29 -- the conceptual design includes a survivor's tribute wall, a reflection pool, a hearing garden and a private gathering space for reflection, according to the city.—
Deena Zaru,
ABC News,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
Creating Case Studies That Showcase the Best Solution to Complex Problems Case studies transform abstract metrics into compelling narratives demonstrating your solution’s effectiveness.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
Pramuk composed the songs of Hymnal in collaboration with the Sonar Quartett, using her dance chops to reconfigure the ensemble’s cascading strings into abstract rhythms.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
This definition also includes instance in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity (include due to the influence of drugs or alcohol) or because of age.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2025
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Without supervision or regulation, kids can easily stumble upon explicit material, including violent and extremist content, that can lead to mental distress, desensitization and a warped perception of the world around them.—
Richard Wistocki,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
About 40 percent of the impressive total went to programs helping people with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
12 June 2025
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Another study found that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are less than half as likely to receive a kidney transplant as adults without IDD. Woodward has been working to change that.—
Eileen Finan,
People.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ideational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideational. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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