existential

adjective

ex·is·ten·tial ˌeg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shəl

ˌek-(ˌ)si-

Synonyms of existential next

: of, relating to, or affirming existence

existential propositions

: grounded in existence or the experience of existence : empirical

: having being in time and space

: existentialist

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 Trump has questioned the value of the NATO alliance Biden, who describes Trump as an existential threat to America’s place as a global leader, takes pride in marshalling U.S. allies to support Ukraine after Russia's invasion, and expanding NATO to include two new members. —

Tamara Keith, NPR, 5 June 2024 But for conservative Christian women who understood traditional gender roles to be God-given, and who cherished their roles as housewives, the feminist movement seemed like an existential threat. —

Emily Suzanne Johnson / Made By History, TIME, 3 June 2024 Has that structure eased the existential dilemma of daily life for you? —

Katie Bain, Billboard, 22 May 2024 In 2018, for example, only eight board members of the 1,188 total had cyber security credentials, only three had climate credentials, and only 12 had credentials in labor relations—all existential issues for most industries. —

Bytensie Whelan, Fortune, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for existential

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'existential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin existentiālis, exsistentiālis, from existentia, exsistentia existence + Latin -ālis -al entry 1; in the 19th and 20th centuries in part as translation of Danish existentiel (later eksistentiel) & German existentiell

Note: Compare "Existentielt Indlæg" ("existential contribution") in the subtitle of Søren Kierkegaard's Afsluttende uvidenskabelig Efterskrift til de philosophiske Smuler (1846; Concluding Unscientific Postscript to the Philosophical Fragments), used also elsewhere in the work.

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of existential was in 1656

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