existential

adjective

ex·​is·​ten·​tial ˌeg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shəl How to pronounce existential (audio)
ˌek-(ˌ)si-
Synonyms of existentialnext
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
: existentialist
existentially adverb

Synonyms

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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
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.
Startlingly handsome with hair like a lion, but in an existential way; a chain-smoking character actor. — Kaleb Horton, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2025 Smaller Hospitals Falter Against Corporate Hospital Giants The frenzy of hospital mergers and acquisitions has placed smaller systems under existential strain. — Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025 With potentially existential stakes, U.S. political leaders should be the ones providing strategic guidance to the military and making decisions about which missiles to deploy, as well as when and where—not military planners. — Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025 These existential conundrums are worth examining, one set of White Lotus denizens at a time. — Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for existential

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

Phrases Containing existential

Rhymes for existential

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Browse Nearby Words

existent
existential
existentialism
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Cite this Entry

“Existential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/existential. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

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