of or relating to existence: Does climate change pose an existential threat to humanity?
of, relating to, or characteristic of philosophical existentialism; concerned with the nature of human existence as determined by the individual's freely made choices.
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Origin of existential
First recorded in 1685–95, existential is from the Late Latin word existentiālis “relating to existing”; see existence, -al1
Of course, considering how high the existential stakes seem to be in this election, it’s not out of the question that Biden might be the one who disputes the result.
What If Trump Loses And Won’t Leave?|Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com)|September 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Continued uncertainty about safety has become an existential threat for individual airlines, and is expected to upend the airline industry as we know it.
American Airlines touts a new tool to combat COVID. But does it really make flying safer?|dzanemorris|August 24, 2020|Fortune
Failure to extend the search deal with Google could have been a potentially existential blow to Mozilla, which has laid off 320 employees since the beginning of the year.
Strange bedfellows Google and Firefox renew their ‘default search’ partnership|Greg Sterling|August 17, 2020|Search Engine Land
We thought it may go away with the existential crises civilization is facing, but it is definitely a story of City Hall management failure and massive waste of taxpayer funds.
Politics Report: Mara Elliott, Plumber|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|August 1, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Under the right conditions, universal human traits like in-group favoritism, existential anxiety and a desire for stability and control combine into a toxic, system-justifying identity politics.
Coronavirus Responses Highlight How Humans Are Hardwired To Dismiss Facts That Don’t Fit Their Worldview|LGBTQ-Editor|July 2, 2020|No Straight News
I often find myself in the toy aisle, having an existential crisis.
Laura Jane Grace’s Trans Punk Rebellion|Melissa Leon|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Albert Camus used violence as a means of exploring meaning, or lack thereof, in his existential novels.
Is ‘Satisfaction’ a Love Story That’s Too Real About Sex and Marriage?|David Masciotra|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No one wants to go through life in a state of moral and existential ambiguity.
Thank Goodness We’ve Got A Plan! Let the War Begin!|Michael Carson|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had no interest in exploring the philosophical or existential layers of a cartoon show.
Growing Up with Bart Simpson|Alex Suskind|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Only people who have gone through genocide can fully comprehend such an existential threat.
Obama’s Africa Summit and the New Danger in Congo|Sasha Lezhnev, John Prendergast|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They lead to a feeling of existential frustration: a person's will to find meaning is blocked.
When You Don't Know Where to Turn|Steven J. Bartlett
This distinction of indication as existential and implication as conceptual or essential, I owe to Mr. Alfred Sidgwick.
Essays in Experimental Logic|John Dewey
Meinong insists upon an existential judgment, a judgment that the object valued is real, as essential to value.
Social Value|B. M. Anderson
Modal, impersonal, existential judgments are all accounted for.
One passes at will from existential connexions of things to logical relationship of terms.
Creative Intelligence|John Dewey, Addison W. Moore, Harold Chapman Brown, George H. Mead, Boyd H. Bode, Henry Waldgrave, Stuart James, Hayden Tufts, Horace M. Kallen
British Dictionary definitions for existential
existential
/ (ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəl) /
adjective
of or relating to existence, esp human existence
philosophypertaining to what exists, and is thus known by experience rather than reason; empirical as opposed to theoretical
logicdenoting or relating to a formula or proposition asserting the existence of at least one object fulfilling a given condition; containing an existential quantifier
Why “Existential” Was Dictionary.com’s 2019 Word Of The YearThis year's word isn't just high stakes. It's also aspirational, inviting us to ask bigger questions.