metaphysics
Americannoun
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the branch of philosophy that treats of first principles, includes ontology and cosmology, and is intimately connected with epistemology.
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philosophy, especially in its more abstruse branches.
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the underlying theoretical principles of a subject or field of inquiry.
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(initial capital letter, italics) a treatise (4th century b.c.) by Aristotle, dealing with first principles, the relation of universals to particulars, and the teleological doctrine of causation.
noun
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the branch of philosophy that deals with first principles, esp of being and knowing
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the philosophical study of the nature of reality, concerned with such questions as the existence of God, the external world, etc
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(popularly) abstract or subtle discussion or reasoning
Other Word Forms
- metaphysician noun
Etymology
Origin of metaphysics
First recorded in 1560–70; from Medieval Latin metaphysica, from Medieval Greek (tà) metaphysiká (neuter plural), Greek tà metà tà physiká “the (works) after the Physics ”; with reference to the arrangement of Aristotle's writings
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.
The former UC Irvine medical student, who was once homeless after switching his major from medicine to art, said he blends fine art, quantum metaphysics and philosophy into his work.
From Los Angeles Times
The company he founded was called the Ontological-Hysteric Theater, and the name tells you nearly everything you need to know about a theatrical trailblazer who found manic inspiration in the metaphysics of being.
From Los Angeles Times
Plotinus drew on obscure ancient Egyptian metaphysics, Viola on the esoteric technology of modern life.
From Los Angeles Times
A new staging presented by Bedlam makes a valiant effort to adapt Stoppard’s cerebral probes into chaos theory, Newtonian law, thermodynamics and metaphysics for a 2023 audience, but the result is a muddled one.
From New York Times
As we ate outside in the courtyard, he proceeded to go into further detail, defining metaphysics as a study of the fundamental nature of reality.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
