physically
Americanadverb
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relating to the body or its appearance.
He is not physically attractive.
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according to what exists in the physical world as perceived by the senses.
It's not physically possible because of the laws of gravity.
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in a way that involves rough body contact or strenuous physical activity: a physically demanding sport.
a physically abusive spouse;
a physically demanding sport.
Etymology
Origin of physically
First recorded in 1580–90; physical ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This change was partly accomplished by the creation of the Access Artist Advisory Board, which was dedicated to making things more accessible — physically and emotionally, but also financially.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
What’s more, fuel switches have to be physically lifted over a gate to change positions.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
In February 2023, he took a “risky, physically demanding, clandestine trip” to war-torn Ukraine—“further evidence that in spite of his age he was still very much up to the job.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Their next goal is to better understand how MYRF-1 and LIN-42 physically interact and how these developmental clocks function across different cells.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
I was getting worn out, not physically, but emotionally.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
