# theoretical

Pronunciation: US say "thee-uh-RET-i-kuhl" /ˌθi.əˈɹɛt.ɪ.kəl/; UK say "theer-uh-RET-i-kuhl" /ˌθɪəˈɹɛtɪkəl/; AUS say "thee-RET-i-kuhl" /ˌθiːˈɹet.ɪ.kəl/

## Adjective

1. Relating to theory rather than practical application; abstract and not drawn from observation or experiment.
   - Simple: Based on ideas or thinking, not on real-world tests or experience.
   - _The physicist's model stayed theoretical until later experiments confirmed its predictions._
   - _Their objections were largely theoretical, with no evidence from actual cases._

## 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).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/theoretical (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).