platonic

adjective

Definition of platonicnext
as in hypothetical

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 platonic Psychologists say platonic connection should be actively promoted in schools, workplaces, public spaces and entertainment. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026 Ben Affleck's best friend and platonic life partner played small parts for years before hitting his breakthrough alongside Affleck for their film Good Will Hunting (1997), which the pair co-wrote and costarred in. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 That is until Season 13 Episode 5, when Atwater reconnects with Officer Tasha Fox (Karen Obilom), a platonic friend from his past now turned lover. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 2 July 2026 The platonic ideal is to have AI models developed by domestic researchers, on domestic hardware, capturing domestic values, thereby ensuring the technology’s control by the government and independence of external interference. — Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for platonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platonic
  1. hypothetical
  2. theoretical
  3. potential
  4. nonexistent
  5. possible
  6. conjectural
  7. ideal
  8. alleged
Adjective
  • The potential for prefab to capture a large share of the fire recovery and speed its progress is still only hypothetical.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • More than 30 years ago, researchers discovered that hypothetical computers based on the laws of quantum physics would be able to rapidly solve difficult math problems.
    — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 6 July 2026
Definition of hypothetical
Adjective
  • When people see that scams can be built around them specifically, security habits stop feeling theoretical and start feeling necessary.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • After machine learning identified promising candidates, researchers verified them through theoretical calculations before synthesizing and experimentally confirming the materials.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • Investigators don’t believe that the driver was intoxicated, but distracted driving has not been ruled out as a potential cause of the accident, according to police.
    — Mary Ella Hastings July 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • Paules said Nova Cottage has one ADU project underway in Altadena and has identified potential sites to construct its first village.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of potential
Adjective
  • The jurors mostly determine the truth except when there is no truth, as with the nonexistent hot-dog contest or gift competition.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 30 June 2026
  • Violent crime is virtually nonexistent in Monaco, a city state located on the Mediterranean Sea, home to roughly 40,000 people and known as a playground for the wealthy.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Definition of nonexistent
Adjective
  • Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • The idea behind the lunch- and afternoon tea–only restaurant is to waste as little as possible.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • The first two questions are too hypothetical and conjectural.
    — Baltimore Sun staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2026
  • Projections of economic gains from major sporting events are typically optimistic, euphoric, chimerical or conjectural.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
Definition of conjectural
Adjective
  • As a bonus, those seasons are ideal for planting a replacement shrub or re-establishing a lawn if it is damaged during the shrub removal.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026
  • Arc On Ear is designed to combine precision headphone correction with advanced physical modeling to recreate how real studio monitors behave in an ideal acoustic space.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of ideal
Adjective
  • The shooting may have been worse if not for the actions of a Muslim immigrant from Syria who wrestled a gun from one of the alleged attackers.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • To scroll the internet during the Swift-Kelce nuptials was to see a barrage of people lamenting the city’s electricity bill, misspent taxpayer dollars, and the alleged tackiness of a private, sure, but very much not secret affair.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 July 2026
Definition of alleged

Browse Nearby Words

platitudinous
platonic
platoon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Platonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platonic. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on platonic

Nglish: Translation of platonic for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All