theoretical
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or consisting in theory; not practical (applied ).
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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.
The 26-member team includes eight Ph.D.s, including Kosowski, a theoretical computer scientist, mathematician and quantum physicist who received his doctorate at age 20.
There are different kinds of art criticism — theoretical, and academic, two that turn up in different kinds of scholarly journals; trade, sponsored in commercially supported magazines; and journalistic, embedded in press reporting on everyday life.
From Los Angeles Times
Earlier theoretical work on somewhat smaller intermediate-mass black holes had suggested that a gas-enshrouded configuration like this could enable very rapid black hole growth in the early universe.
From Science Daily
The estimated frequency of these annihilation events based on the observed gamma ray intensity also fits within expected theoretical ranges.
From Science Daily
For low and intermediate intensities, the theoretical model captures only part of the experimental behavior.
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.
