ideational

adjective

ˌī-dē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce ideational (audio)
Definition of ideationalnext
as in theoretical
dealing with or expressing a quality or idea ideograms are ideational—they are meant to suggest some general idea and not a particular word or phrase

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ideational Constructivists’ major argument is that world politics is as much ideational as material and that relations among states depend on norms as much as on military or economic power. — Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2025 These ideational shifts, influenced by both global narratives and local aspirations, are increasingly shaping how Indians approach relationships. — Anuradha Gupta, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 The ideational content of the image — a man killing another man on a public sidewalk — is only half the message. — F.k. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025 This process, which Doten-Snitker and her coauthors term ideational diffusion, often took many years as people in towns and cities needed time to digest new ideas about witchcraft and turn them into behavior. — Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2024 Steven Spielberg extends Griffith’s and Ford’s historical insight through an astonishing mix of visual and ideational dialectics. — Armond White, National Review, 28 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideational
  1. theoretical
  2. metaphysical
  3. conceptual
  4. abstract
  5. mental
  6. intellectual
Adjective
  • Alongside the latest projections, the agency released a database that categorized occupations based on their theoretical and observed exposure to AI.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • One theoretical reason, Flanigan said, is that taking notes by hand creates a more meaningful and deeply processed record of information from a class lecture or meeting.
    — Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • Eddy has been spared the worst violence; the novel casts his racial privilege as a kind of metaphysical exemption.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • There seems to be a deliberate effort here to make the show more fun without dumbing down its metaphysical and philosophical implications.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of metaphysical
Adjective
  • The consortium will also establish a development roadmap covering the steps required to move from the present conceptual phase toward possible construction and deployment.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • For many of its leading figures, from the Impressionists in the 1870s to conceptual artists a century later, this also meant proposing new and better solutions to the problem of how to be and how to live together.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of conceptual
Adjective
  • But the film doesn’t have to be abstract and leave you longing and searching for answers and so forth.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Physicists asking these questions have recently focused on an even more abstract space that seems especially well suited for their purposes.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of abstract
Adjective
  • Gloria Steinem attributed her mother's nervous breakdown before she was born, and her treatment in mental institutions and the workforce thereafter, as key to her interest in social injustices.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But writing notes by hand requires a more engaged mental filter.
    — Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of mental
Adjective
  • Current data show that excessive screen time and overreliance on tools like AI hinder children's intellectual and emotional development.
    — Michael Chavira, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Either way, the momentum continues the following day when Mercury meets with Uranus retrograde in Gemini, offering a surge of intellectual clarity on the heels of that Neptunian fog.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of intellectual

Browse Nearby Words

ideation
ideational
idée fixe
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Cite this Entry

“Ideational.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideational. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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