platonic

adjective

Definition of platonicnext
as in hypothetical

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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 While setting the record straight, the actress explained that her relationship with Cameli is strictly platonic. — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 So, any hope for the two best platonic friends to reunite in the afterlife, or perhaps a follow-up season? — Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 9 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 Friendship was a tender, absurd depiction of a one-sided, quasi-platonic infatuation. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 July 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
  • Then, in a famous 1937 paper, the mathematician Alan Turing devised a model based on hypothetical machines that could read and write symbols printed on an infinite tape according to a set of simple rules.
    — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Shirley said the bill set a bad precedent, giving a hypothetical scenario of someone hiring a third party to commit violence in order to pin the blame on him.
    — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hypothetical
Adjective
  • David Sloan is a theoretical physicist at Lancaster University and the Chief Scientific Officer of the Foundational Questions Institute.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Far from being a theoretical threat, at least one active attack is already exploiting the mixup.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of theoretical
Adjective
  • Managers can instead adjust the balance between option premiums, dividend yield and potential capital gains.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • And with players in major European leagues still able to depart their clubs beyond the deadline, there is potential for big deals to still be done in the coming days.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of potential
Adjective
  • Attorneys for State Farm apologized to a court for submitting legal briefings rife with artificial intelligence hallucinations and nonexistent case law, the latest example of lawyers bolstering their arguments with precedents made up by a chatbot.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • And cases of enforcement against districts for starting early are rare to nonexistent.
    — Zaire Breedlove, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonexistent
Adjective
  • Sunlight Place the plant in a sunny window, south-facing if possible, and give it four to six hours of sunlight each day.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Carley Garner, a commodity market strategist and broker at DeCarley Trading, said smaller futures and oil ETFs such as the United States Oil Fund (ticker USO) have made speculation possible for traders at almost any level of experience or funding.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 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
  • Viewers should then position themselves on an ideal vantage point with a good view of the sky facing north, ideally as far away as possible from cities or other sources of bright lights.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The culturally rich locale is ideal for curious travelers who’ll connect around Tianjin's dynamic history of creative artistry in music, film, art, and design through Patina’s Perpetual Journey program.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of ideal
Adjective
  • However, what makes Sichuan different is its alleged use of an electromagnetic aircraft-launch system.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The teen, a standout player on his high school football team, remains behind bars over the alleged incident.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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