theoretical
[thee-uh-ret-i-kuh l]
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Often the·o·ret·ic.
Origin of theoretical
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for theoretically
Contemporary Examples
We could theoretically cause a lot of damage should we take that route.
Theoretically, the ship can take on all comers in the air, sea, underwater or on land.
He could, theoretically, present himself as a model citizen who made a mistake while obscuring what the mistakes been.
The Weirdest Story About a Conservative Obsession, a Convicted Bomber, and Taylor Swift You Have Ever ReadDavid Weigel
August 30, 2014
And so theoretically they could have gone out and made the film without ever being in touch with me.
A Trailblazer in YA Dystopian Fiction: An Interview With 'The Giver' Author Lois LowryMarianne Hayes
August 12, 2014
You can (theoretically) create a good movie with Kickstarter donations; you can also create a bad one.
Historical Examples
That is, theoretically we may ascribe them to God, but practically we dissociate Him from them.
The Conquest of FearBasil King
Being a woman, she should, theoretically, have disliked and despised him for this.
Roden's CornerHenry Seton Merriman
One-man power is (theoretically) greatly feared, in America.
Blood and IronJohn Hubert Greusel
And as a philosopher he was right; theoretically it would be possible.
Common ScienceCarleton W. Washburne
Theoretically, we do what we please so long as we do not interfere with the traffic and all it implies.
With The Night MailRudyard Kipling
theoretical
theoretic (ˌθɪəˈrɛtɪk)
- of or based on theory
- lacking practical application or actual existence; hypothetical
- using or dealing in theory; impractical
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for theoretically
theoretical
adj.
1610s, from Late Latin theoreticus "of or pertaining to theory," from Greek theoretikos "contemplative, pertaining to theory" (by Aristotle contrasted to praktikos), from theoretos "that may be seen or considered," from theorein "to consider, look at" (see theory). Related: Theoretically.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
theoretical
(thē′ə-rĕt′ĭ-kəl)- Of, relating to, or based on theory.
- Restricted to theory; not practical.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.