thought experiment

American

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of thought experiment

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

According to new research, the famous work could also represent an early thought experiment in impact physics, describing a catastrophic planetary collision centuries before modern meteor science existed.

From Science Daily • May 11, 2026

“The Disappearing Act” is more of a thought experiment about M’s effort to become “invisible and free.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

In Citrini’s thought experiment, competitors could use coding agents to easily launch delivery apps, and drivers could use multi-app dashboards to find the best gigs.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023