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

When comic creator Garth Ennis first conceived “The Boys” in 2004, blending the cult of celebrity with the high stakes of politics seemed merely like a dark thought experiment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Underneath it all is Roko’s Basilisk, a thought experiment that originated on the online rationalist forum LessWrong and has proved genuinely radicalizing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 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

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

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

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