existential
adjective
ex·is·ten·tial
ˌeg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shəl 
ˌek-(ˌ)si-
1
: of, relating to, or affirming existence
existential propositions
2
a
: grounded in existence or the experience of existence : empirical
b
: having being in time and space
3
existentially
adverb
Examples of existential in a Sentence
child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim believed that fairy tales help children cope with their existential anxieties and dilemmas
Recent Examples on the Web
The sum of human suffering, climate change, and other existential threats may lie behind the reasoning of proponents of this school of thought.
—
Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Sulzberger writes passionately about the existential threats facing a free press, from economic collapse to political intimidation, and how journalism must stand as a bulwark in a time of profound civic deterioration.
—Jessica Sibley, Time, 19 May 2025
Now, there is certainly a feeling of never having been more aware of our mortality collectively — the pandemic, of course, and facing the ongoing existential threat of climate breakdown.
—Nicole Stanton, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Its leaders spoke about the existential threat of artificial general intelligence—the moment, vaguely defined, when machines would surpass human intelligence—while pursuing it relentlessly.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
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Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Sulzberger writes passionately about the existential threats facing a free press, from economic collapse to political intimidation, and how journalism must stand as a bulwark in a time of profound civic deterioration.
—Jessica Sibley, Time, 19 May 2025
Now, there is certainly a feeling of never having been more aware of our mortality collectively — the pandemic, of course, and facing the ongoing existential threat of climate breakdown.
—Nicole Stanton, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Its leaders spoke about the existential threat of artificial general intelligence—the moment, vaguely defined, when machines would surpass human intelligence—while pursuing it relentlessly.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for existential
Cite this Entry
“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/existential. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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