THEORETICAL: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for THEORETICAL?

Need another word that means the same as “theoretical”? Find 17 synonyms and 30 related words for “theoretical” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Theoretical” are: theoretic, not practical, conceptual, abstract, pure, hypothetical, conjectural, academic, suppositional, speculative, notional, postulatory, imagined, assumed, untested, unproven, unsubstantiated

Theoretical as an Adjective

Definitions of "Theoretical" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “theoretical” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

  • Concerned with or involving the theory of a subject or area of study rather than its practical application.
  • Concerned with theories rather than their practical applications.
  • Concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations.
  • Based on or calculated through theory rather than experience or practice.

Synonyms of "Theoretical" as an adjective (17 Words)

abstractDealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention.
Abstract words like truth and justice.
academicNot of practical relevance; of only theoretical interest.
Students resplendent in academic dress.
assumedAdopted as a basis of reasoning; expected.
An assumed name.
conceptualBeing or characterized by concepts or their formation.
The schizophrenic loses ability to abstract or do conceptual thinking.
conjecturalBased on or involving conjecture.
Theories about the extinction of dinosaurs are still highly conjectural.
hypotheticalBased on or serving as a hypothesis.
The hypothetical tenth planet.
imagined(of something unreal or untrue) believed to exist or be so.
They suffered from ill health real or imagined throughout their lives.
not practicalHaving or put to a practical purpose or use.
notionalDenoting or relating to an approach to grammar which is dependent on the definition of terminology (e.g. ‘a verb is a doing word’) as opposed to identification of structures and processes.
Notional budgets for hospital and community health services.
postulatoryMaking a request or plea.
The resemblance is somewhat postulatory.
pureOf color being chromatically pure not diluted with white or grey or black.
Pure oxygen.
speculativeShowing curiosity.
He was involved in speculative building.
suppositionalBased primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence.
theoreticConcerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations.
Theoretical science.
unproven(of a new method, system, or treatment) not tried and tested.
The risks are unproven.
unsubstantiatedUnsupported by other evidence.
Unsubstantiated claims.
untestedNot yet proved or subjected to testing.
Still untested in battle.

Usage Examples of "Theoretical" as an adjective

  • A theoretical physicist.
  • Theoretical science.
  • Theoretical physics.
  • The training is practical rather than theoretical.
  • The theoretical value of their work.

Associations of "Theoretical" (30 Words)

abstractConsider a concept without thinking of a specific example consider abstractly or theoretically.
A big unframed abstract.
appliedConcerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles.
Technical problems in medicine engineering economics and other applied disciplines.
confuteProve to be false.
Restorers who sought to confute this view were accused of ignorance.
conjectureA hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence.
Many conjectured that the jury could not agree.
credenceA small side table, shelf, or niche in a church for holding the elements of the Eucharist before they are consecrated.
Psychoanalysis finds little credence among laymen.
disproveProve that (something) is false.
He has given the Department of Transport two months to disprove the allegation.
eclecticismThe theories or methods of the ancient Eclectic philosophers, who did not belong to or found any recognized school of thought but selected doctrines from various schools of thought.
We ve demonstrated an appetite for musical eclecticism.
extrapolationCalculation of the value of a function outside the range of known values.
Sizes were estimated by extrapolation.
guessPut forward of a guess in spite of possible refutation.
I guess she is angry at me for standing her up.
guessworkAn estimate based on little or no information.
Answering this question will involve you in a certain amount of guesswork.
hypothesisA proposition made as a basis for reasoning, without any assumption of its truth.
His steady state hypothesis of the origin of the universe.
hypothesizeTo believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds.
To be able to hypothesize is important.
hypotheticalA hypothetical proposition or statement.
Consider the following just as a hypothetical.
ideationalRelating to the formation of ideas or concepts.
Policy has been shaped by both material and ideational factors.
imagineForm a mental image or concept of.
She imagined him at his desk his head in his hands.
inductiveRelating to or caused by electric or magnetic induction.
Inductive reasoning.
inferenceThe process of inferring something.
His emphasis on order and health and by inference cleanliness.
metaphysicalThe metaphysical poets.
The essentially metaphysical question of the nature of mind.
neurobiologistA specialist in neurobiology.
putativePurported; commonly put forth or accepted as true on inconclusive grounds.
The foundling s putative father.
reasoningEndowed with the capacity to reason.
He explained the reasoning behind his decision at a media conference.
rumourGossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth.
She is rumoured to have gone into hiding.
speculateReflect deeply on a subject.
He didn t look as though he had the money to speculate in shares.
speculationInvestment in stocks, property, etc. in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss.
The company s move into property speculation.
speculativeNot based on fact or investigation.
He gave her a speculative glance.
supposeExpect believe or suppose.
The theory supposes a predisposition to interpret utterances.
supposedDoubtful or suspect.
He was supposed to go to the store.
suppositionA belief held without proof or certain knowledge; an assumption or hypothesis.
Their outrage was based on supposition and hearsay.
theorizeCreate a theoretical premise or framework for.
Galileo theorized the motion of the stars.
theoryA supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained.
He proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices.

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