Platonic

[ pluh-ton-ik, pley- ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Plato or his doctrines:

   the Platonic philosophy of ideal forms.

2. pertaining to, involving, or characterized by Platonic love as a striving toward love of spiritual or ideal beauty.
3. (usually lowercase) purely spiritual; free from sensual desire, especially in a relationship between two persons of different sexes.
4. (usually lowercase) feeling or professing platonic love:

   He insisted that he was completely platonic in his admiration.

Platonic

/ pləˈtɒnɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to Plato or his teachings
2. often not capital free from physical desire

   Platonic love

Derived Forms

• Plaˈtonically, adverb

Other Words From

• Pla·ton·i·cal·ly adverb
• an·ti-Pla·ton·ic adjective
• post-Pla·ton·ic adjective
• pro-Pla·ton·ic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Platonic¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin Platōnicus, from Greek Platōnikós, equivalent to Platōn-, stem of Plátōn Plato + -ikos, -ic

Example Sentences

Reality as ConsciousnessThis view can be seen as a middle way between the Platonic and Aristotelian tradition.

From Nautilus

Only the unworldly could still think this was, at its worst, only an unseemly platonic relationship rather than a serious bonding.

From The Daily Beast

In high school, Tsukuru was one of five platonic but intimate friends who did everything together and thought as one.

From The Daily Beast

She uses the celebrations of holy matrimony as a way to chronicle her own relationships, both romantic and platonic.

From The Daily Beast

But when pressed on the nature of their relationship—which Stiviano has characterized as platonic—Sterling clammed up.

From The Daily Beast

I remembered the usual termination of Platonic liaisons, and thought how disgusted I had been whenever I heard of one.

From The Daily Beast

True, she had taken a lively interest in all her brother's curates, but it was always a professional interest and purely Platonic.

From Project Gutenberg

The two minds, not hearts, were at once united; but this platonic union soon led to one more tender.

From Project Gutenberg

The single bright ray across her life was an absolutely platonic love for her cousin Charles Grandet.

From Project Gutenberg

This is obviously the Platonic doctrine of two right keys, holding the mean between high and low.

From Project Gutenberg

The manner in which Aristides introduces his information about the Platonic Modes is highly suspicious.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• transcendent
• utopian

More About Platonic

What else does platonic mean?

Platonic characterizes a close but non-sexual relationship between people. It’s especially used in reference to two people of opposite sexes who have a strong, deep friendship.

Where does platonic come from?

The concept of platonic goes back to Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino in the 15th century. He spoke of amor platonicus (“platonic love”), a kind of divine, soul-connected love. It was based on ancient Greek philosophy of Plato, who saw the love of beauty itself as a higher, more ideal form of love than of the flesh. Ficinio’s platonic love was a Christian take on Plato’s ideas.

Platonic popped up again in the 1630s in England, where there was a renewed interest in Plato’s teachings. Platonic love was viewed as a relationship devoid of sensual desires, instead grounded in the intellectual connection between two people. Over time, the idea of platonic love evolved into a friendship lacking a sexual component, especially due to social circumstances.

In its contemporary sense, platonic love involves a close friendship between two people where there doesn’t exist sexual desire. It originally referred to a relationship between a man and a woman, but has since expanded to include people of all genders. Many, however, like to argue that true platonic friendship can’t exist, as sexual attraction will always creep in between people.

In the 2000s, the term was used by the online classifieds website Craigslist in a section titled Strictly Platonic, meant for posts involving people seeking friendships. But people misused and abused it, and the section was removed in 2018 along with all the other categories found in the personals section due to sex-trafficking concerns.

Platonic friendships appear in popular culture, though fans like to point out sexual tensions or even ship them. Examples include Joey and Phoebe from the 1990s sitcom Friends, and Harry and Hermione from the young adult book and movie series, Harry Potter.

How is platonic used in real life?

Platonic is widely used to describe a type of friendship devoid of sex (e.g., We’re not dating. We just love hanging out. It’s platonic).

Platonic soulmates are a blessing

— T (@sheistaitum) September 16, 2018

Common phrases include platonic relationship, platonic love, platonic friendship, platonic crush, and platonic soul mate.

Greatest platonic relationship in the history of TV. pic.twitter.com/4SqDTukCUx

— Sayyaf (@sayyaf_10) May 28, 2020

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.