Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

existential risk

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.46 in modern English

Syllables
ex-is-ten-tial risk
IPA
26
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
4
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A risk which could destroy or permanently damage an entity; a risk to one's existence.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A hypothetical future event which could cause human extinction or permanently and severely curtail humanity's potential.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Usage

Inflected Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Questions

What does existential risk mean?
A risk which could destroy or permanently damage an entity; a risk to one's existence.
Where does existential risk come from?
The "human extinction" sense was coined by philosopher and writer Nick Bostrom in 2002.

How to pronounce existential risk

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “existential risk”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “existential risk”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “existential risk” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.