existentially
Americanadverb
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in a way that is part of the very existence of a particular person or thing; inherently.
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in a way that affects or relates to existence, especially as a challenge or threat; in an existential way.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Faculty report that some students experience negative feedback as existentially threatening, making it difficult to use criticism as an opportunity for learning and improvement,” the report says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
These locations often involve an encounter with atmospheres that feel emotionally, symbolically or existentially charged.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Prof Jon Butterworth of University College London, described the level of cuts as "existentially threatening" to UK particle physics.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
Obviously I’m existentially very happy, but I miss the hustle, I miss being like the having an autonomous ownership over my body, where I’m not growing someone or breastfeeding someone or anything else.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026
There was this tunnel that these two kids kept crawling through over and over and they never seemed to get tired, which made me think of Augustus Waters and the existentially fraught free throws.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
