thought experiment

American  

noun

1. Physics. a demonstration or calculation that is based on the postulates of a theory, as relativity, and that demonstrates or clarifies the consequences of the postulates.

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Etymology

Origin of thought experiment

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Joe Wengert co-created “Kevin” with ex-girlfriend/series voice actor Aubrey Plaza as a cathartic thought experiment about their actual pet cat, Kevin.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

This concept is famously illustrated by Schrödinger's cat, a thought experiment in which a cat is considered both alive and dead simultaneously until it is observed.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

A viral thought experiment by Citrini Research foretelling mass white-collar unemployment, cratering consumer spending and financial contagion tapped into deep anxieties about the technology both on Wall Street and among the broader public.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

For Tesla’s Musk, space-based data centers appear to be well more than just a thought experiment.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

Thus what Koyré took to be the key concept that made possible the new science, the concept of inertia, was, he held, constructed by Galileo thinking about everyday experience, by a mere thought experiment.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton