Word Study
theoretical
CIDE DICTIONARY
theoretical, a. [Gr. : cf. L. theoreticus, F. théorétique.].
Pertaining to theory; depending on, or confined to, theory or speculation; speculative; terminating in theory or speculation: not practical; as, theoretical learning; theoretic sciences. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
theoretical, adj.
1 concerned with knowledge but not with its practical application.
2 based on theory rather than experience or practice.
1 concerned with knowledge but not with its practical application.
2 based on theory rather than experience or practice.
Derivative
theoretically adv.
THESAURUS
theoretical
abstract, academic, analytical, armchair, closet, conceptual, conjectural, debatable, fanciful, hypothetic, hypothetical, ideal, idealized, ideational, ideological, impractical, moot, notional, postulatory, problematical, pure, putative, speculative, suppositional, supposititious, transcendent, transcendental, unproved, unproven, unrealistic, untestedROGET THESAURUS
theoretical
Supposition
N supposition, assumption, assumed position, postulation, condition, presupposition, hypothesis, blue sky hypothesis, postulate, postulatum, theory, thesis, theorem, data, proposition, position, proposal, presumption, divination, conjecture, guess, guesswork, speculation, rough guess, shot, shot in the dark, conjecturality, surmise, suspicion, sneaking suspicion, estimate, approximation (nearness), inkling, suggestion, hint, intimation, notion, impression, bare supposition, vague supposition, loose supposition, loose suggestion, association of ideas, (analogy), metonym, metonymy, simile (metaphor), conceit, idea, thought, original idea, invention (imagination), supposing, given, mooted, postulatory, assumed, supposititious, suppositive, suppositious, gratuitous, speculative, conjectural, hypothetical, theoretical, academic, supposable, presumptive, putative, suppositional, suggestive, allusive, if, if so be, an, on the supposition, ex hypothesi, in the case, in the event of, quasi, as if, provided, perhaps, for aught one knows.For further exploring for "theoretical" in Webster Dictionary Online