theoretical
thee-uh-RET-i-kuhl/ˌθi.əˈɹɛt.ɪ.kəl/UKtheer-uh-RET-i-kuhl/ˌθɪəˈɹɛtɪkəl/AUSthee-RET-i-kuhl/ˌθiːˈɹet.ɪ.kəl/
- 1Relating to theory rather than practical application; abstract and not drawn from observation or experiment.
Like a blueprint for a house that no one has yet built.
The physicist's model stayed theoretical until later experiments confirmed its predictions.
Their objections were largely theoretical, with no evidence from actual cases.
Similarabstract, hypothetical, academic, conceptual, speculative
Oppositepractical
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Origin
The word came into Middle English as "theorothycall," probably from Latin "theōrēticus" plus "-al," which in turn came from the Ancient Greek "theōrētikós" (theōrētikós).