variants
also theoretic
1
as in hypothetical
existing only as an assumption or speculation
the merits of the new testing procedures are purely theoretical, since no one has ever used them before
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in metaphysical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea
the theoretical musings in his new book are less engaging than the anecdote-driven arguments of his previous works
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of theoretical
As Radloff noted, in the unaired pilot Parsons played a significantly different version of genius theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper who had slept with Gilda, one of the show’s two original female leads, played by Iris Bahr.
—
John Russell, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
There are even more exotic theoretical possibilities.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2025
Not long ago, assessing what impact the statute would have was largely a theoretical exercise.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Innovation should be practical and actionable, not just theoretical.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for theoretical
John Russell, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
There are even more exotic theoretical possibilities.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2025
Not long ago, assessing what impact the statute would have was largely a theoretical exercise.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Innovation should be practical and actionable, not just theoretical.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for theoretical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theoretical
Adjective
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Proponents of the move say the reserve would act as a hedge against financial instability in a hypothetical future in which cryptocurrencies replace regular money issued by central banks.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN,
8 Mar. 2025
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Proponents argued that an investment in Bitcoin would help the government chip away at the $36 trillion national debt, and ensure that the United States remained dominant in a hypothetical future where the global economy runs on cryptocurrencies.—
David Yaffe-Bellany,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Beckett reminds us of the metaphysical vastness that the stage can contain.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2025
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Beelzebub, however, is nothing but evil incarnate, first appearing as a sort of metaphysical pollution—a writhing black oil-like glob suspended in midair.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Implementing stronger oversight for speculative assets.—
Susie Violet Ward,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
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Any financial instruments mentioned herein are speculative in nature and may involve risk to principal and interest.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Buyers are still looking for the most commercial pieces, without taking the whole range or more conceptual looks.—
Rhonda Richford,
WWD,
7 Mar. 2025
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Their dexterity in formal skills is matched by their conceptual prowess.—
Shantay Robinson,
ARTnews.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But the possible consequences of an Iranian nuclear capability are largely conjectural (save for one: nobody would think of invading Iran anymore).—
Barry R. Posen,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Sep. 2010
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That statistic is somewhat conjectural, since the vast majority of rapes in India are apparently not reported.—
Mark Jenkins,
Washington Post,
7 Nov. 2023
Adjective
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The pair tested their approach on the Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus (ARC-AGI), an unbeaten visual benchmark created in 2019 by machine learning researcher François Chollet to test AI systems' abstract reasoning skills.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
6 Mar. 2025
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Each shot looks like a page out of a cursed tome of twisted, postmodern fairy tales, the images forbidding and slightly abstract.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Theoretical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theoretical. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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