French Conversation · Level 25
90 words
French word
existentiel
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛgzistɑ̃sjɛl/
Meaning
- adjectiveexistential
Example
Il a des doutes existentiels.
He has existential doubts.
More examples
Après quarante ans, elle a traversé une crise existentielle.
After forty years, she went through an existential crisis.
Core concept
A person confronting being alive and asking what that existence means.
Common phrases
crise existentielle
existential crisis
question existentielle
existential question
Similar words
profond: Marked by deep, intense feelings or thoughts.
psychologique: Related to mental processes and emotional states.
personnel: Related to an individual's private life or personal circumstances.
spirituel: Related to religion, the soul, or inner spiritual experience.
Definition in French
Qui concerne l'existence, en particulier la condition et l'expérience humaine, ainsi que les questions sur le sens de la vie.
Word origin
French existentiel is formed from existence with the adjective-forming ending -iel, and existence ultimately comes from Latin existentia.
Usage tips
- In French, existentiel often describes doubts, crises, or questions about meaning, so it sounds weighty when applied to a minor problem.