theoretical.

1. Relating to an explanatory model or organized body of ideas.

2. Possible or considered in principle without necessarily being practical or actual.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• theoretical framework
• theoretical prediction

On the page

The theoretical framework guided the selection of cases.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Normally non-gradable; no ordinary comparative or superlative. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, qualification. Commonness: moderately common.