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

“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

It’s a thought experiment more than anything else, from a story by Komasa and Lori Rosene-Gambino, the latter who wrote the screenplay.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

It was a cumbersome way of doing business, but it got the job done and went far beyond what Archimedes needed to solve his thought experiment.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife