existential
gb/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl/ us/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
C1
property
1
about life and meaning
Connected with deep questions about life, meaning, choice, and death.
Usage pattern:
existential [question/anxiety/crisis/theme]
Common mistake:
Do not use existential simply to mean very important; it usually connects to existence, survival, or the meaning of life.
Synonyms
philosophical (broader; can refer to any deep or abstract thinking, not only existence and meaning)
|
life-and-death (more dramatic and less philosophical; often about urgency or mortality)
Antonyms
practical (concerned with concrete action rather than deep questions of meaning)
|
superficial (concerned with surface matters rather than deep human concerns)
Collocations
existential crisis
|existential question
|existential anxiety
|existential dread
|existential themes
|existential philosophy
|existential concerns
|existential loneliness
Themes
philosophy
|psychology
|emotions
|life
Examples
- The novel explores existential questions about freedom, guilt, and the meaning of life.
- After moving to a new country, she felt an existential loneliness that was hard to explain.
- His films often have an existential tone, with characters wondering why their lives matter.
Learner examples
- The book asks existential questions about life and death.
- He felt existential anxiety after losing his job.
adjective
C1
property
2
threatening survival or existence
So serious that it could make something stop existing or stop surviving.
Usage pattern:
existential [threat/risk/challenge] to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
In this sense, existential normally modifies words like threat, risk, or challenge; it does not usually mean just serious by itself.
Synonyms
survival-level (less formal; emphasizes that survival is at stake)
|
life-threatening (usually used for people or living things, not institutions or systems)
|
fundamental (less strong; means basic or essential, not necessarily threatening existence)
Antonyms
minor (not serious enough to affect survival)
|
nonessential (not necessary for existence or survival)
Collocations
existential threat
|existential risk
|existential challenge
|existential danger
|existential issue
|existential threat to democracy
|existential risk to humanity
|existential business risk
Themes
risk
|politics
|business
|environment
|security
Examples
- Climate change is often described as an existential threat to low-lying island nations.
- The company sees the new technology as an existential challenge to its business model.
- For some voters, attacks on democratic institutions feel existential, not merely political.
Learner examples
- The drought is an existential threat to the village.
- The small company faced an existential risk.
adjective
technical
C2
property
3
asserting that something exists
Used in logic or grammar to show that something exists, such as “there is” or “there are.”
Usage pattern:
existential [quantifier/statement/construction]
Common mistake:
This technical sense is different from everyday phrases like existential crisis or existential threat.
Synonyms
existence-expressing (plain-language explanation rather than a standard technical term)
Antonyms
universal (in logic, refers to all cases rather than at least one case)
|
nonexistential (technical opposite meaning not expressing existence)
Collocations
existential quantifier
|existential statement
|existential proposition
|existential construction
|existential clause
|existential there
|existential sentence
Themes
logic
|grammar
|mathematics
|linguistics
Examples
- In logic, the existential quantifier means that at least one thing satisfies a condition.
- The sentence “There is a problem” uses an existential construction.
- Students often confuse existential statements with universal statements in formal logic.
Learner examples
- “There is a cat” is an existential sentence.
- The existential quantifier means “at least one.”
Grammar
Dictionary form
existential
IPA
GB/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl/
US/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl/
Syllables & stress
ex - ist - en - tial (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (en)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: existential
Expressions
existential crisis
1/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl kɹˈaɪsəs/
fixed phrase
deep crisis of meaning
A time when someone feels deeply unsure about the meaning or purpose of their life.
Examples
- Turning forty triggered an existential crisis that made him rethink his career and relationships.
- After graduation, she went through an existential crisis and wondered what she really wanted from life.
- I joked that choosing a new phone gave me an existential crisis, but really I was just overwhelmed.
existential dread
1/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl dɹˈɛd/
fixed phrase
fear about existence
A strong, deep fear about life, death, or the meaning of existence.
Examples
- The news filled him with existential dread about the future of the planet.
- Her poems mix dark humor with existential dread.
- At three in the morning, small worries can turn into existential dread.
existential question
1/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl kwˈɛst͡ʃən/
fixed phrase
question about life’s meaning
A big, deep question about life and why we exist.
Examples
- The pandemic forced many people to face existential questions about work and family.
- The play raises existential questions without giving easy answers.
- Children sometimes ask surprisingly existential questions about death and time.
existential risk
1/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl ɹˈɪsk/
fixed phrase
technical
risk to long-term survival
A danger that could end human survival or seriously damage the future of a society, system, or organization.
Examples
- Researchers debate whether advanced artificial intelligence could become an existential risk.
- The report compares existential risks from pandemics, nuclear war, and climate change.
- For the company, losing access to its main platform would be an existential risk.
existential threat
1/ˌɛɡzˌɪstˈɛnʃəl θɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
threat to survival
A threat that could make someone or something stop existing or surviving.
Examples
- Rising sea levels are an existential threat to some coastal communities.
- The startup viewed the lawsuit as an existential threat.
- Many scientists call nuclear war an existential threat to humanity.