theoretical
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or consisting in theory; not practical (applied ).
-
existing only in theory; hypothetical.
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given to, forming, or dealing with theories; speculative.
adjective
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of or based on theory
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lacking practical application or actual existence; hypothetical
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using or dealing in theory; impractical
Other Word Forms
- antitheoretical adjective
- nontheoretic adjective
- nontheoretical adjective
- theoretically adverb
- untheoretic adjective
- untheoretical adjective
Etymology
Origin of theoretical
First recorded in 1610–20; theoretic, from Late Latin theōrēticus, from Greek theōrētikós, equivalent to theōrēt(ós) “to be seen” (verbal adjective derived from theōreîn “to view”) + -ikos -ic; -al 1
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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.
Perhaps the most powerful theoretical argument is that the average growth stock does not live up to the ambitious growth-rate assumptions that investors have when bidding their prices up to lofty levels.
From MarketWatch
That extra demand, he suggests, would imply a “theoretical price” of $8,000 to $8,500.
From Barron's
Dark stars are among the most intriguing theoretical objects in modern astrophysics.
From Science Daily
To explore this behavior, the research team used the Fermi-Hubbard model, a widely accepted theoretical framework that describes how electrons interact within a solid.
From Science Daily
The findings also contradict long-standing theoretical expectations, and they have now been published in Science.
From Science Daily
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.
