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• metaphysical
  metaphysical

  adjective

  pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics.
• Metaphysical
  Metaphysical

  adjective

  denoting or relating to certain 17th-century poets who combined intense feeling with ingenious thought and often used elaborate imagery and conceits. Notable among them were Donne, Herbert, and Marvell

metaphysical

American  

[met-uh-fiz-i-kuhl] / ˌmɛt əˈfɪz ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics.

2. Philosophy.

   1. concerned with abstract thought or subjects, as existence, causality, or truth.

   2. concerned with first principles and ultimate grounds, as being, time, or substance.

3. highly abstract, subtle, or abstruse.

4. designating or pertaining to the poetry of an early group of 17th-century English poets, notably John Donne, whose characteristic style is highly intellectual and philosophical and features intensive use of ingenious conceits and turns of wit.

5. Archaic. imaginary or fanciful.

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metaphysical ¹ British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪkəl /

adjective

1. relating to or concerned with metaphysics

2. (of a statement or theory) having the form of an empirical hypothesis, but in fact immune from empirical testing and therefore (in the view of the logical positivists) literally meaningless

3. (popularly) abstract, abstruse, or unduly theoretical

4. incorporeal; supernatural

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Metaphysical ² British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪkəl /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to certain 17th-century poets who combined intense feeling with ingenious thought and often used elaborate imagery and conceits. Notable among them were Donne, Herbert, and Marvell

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noun

1. a poet of this group

Other Word Forms

• antimetaphysical
  adjective
• hypermetaphysical
  adjective
• nonmetaphysical
  adjective
• quasi-metaphysical
  adjective
• unmetaphysical
  adjective
• antimetaphysically
  adverb
• metaphysically
  adverb
• nonmetaphysically
  adverb
• quasi-metaphysically
  adverb
• unmetaphysically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of metaphysical

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English metaphisicalle, from Medieval Latin metaphysicālis; equivalent to metaphysic + -al ¹

Explanation

Add the Greek prefix "meta-" (beyond) to the base "physical" (nature), and you get metaphysical — a near synonym to the Latinate word "supernatural." Both concern phenomena that are outside everyday experience or knowledge. The adjective metaphysical entered the English language through Aristotle, whose Metaphysics is a collection of treatises that follows his Physics. Physics concerned natural philosophy, what we would call "science" today, while Metaphysics dealt with more abstract questions about the reality beyond what we perceive with our senses. Look at a physical object, say an apple. At what exact point did that apple come into existence? If you eat it, does it cease to exist, or does it still exist but in a changed way? These are metaphysical questions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

metaphysical Metaphysical

How strange then to understand this in physical motion, the flight path of my body, but to question it in metaphysical motion, the flight path of my soul.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

If you want to get metaphysical: College football is rife with scandals, but the latest one is particularly surreal.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026

She was sitting down in her stately Oaxaca home when we connected over Zoom, and smiled widely the moment I brought up my metaphysical query.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

“Solstice,” where he shares writing credits with Patti Smith, possesses the same kind of metaphysical shimmer that’s often intrinsic to a Patti Smith composition.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

It was a difficult position to take; Descartes was certainly mindful of the metaphysical problems of rejecting the vacuum entirely.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

“You might call it a Metaphysical Spoof With Acrobatic Prelude, or you might not. The only general thing you can say about it is that it’s very bright and very funny, and sometimes rather touching.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2025

Hours for the Gypsy Willow and Metaphysical Cafe are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 16, 2022

Metaphysical questions tend not to be resting points but starting points.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 15, 2022

SAT Metaphysical speakers, vendors, readers, healers, jewelry, books, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 2014

I am driving and going seventy-two and praying not to get a ticket and playing Metaphysical I Spy.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Related Words

• abstract
• abstruse
• esoteric
• mystical
• philosophical
• spiritual
• supernatural
• theoretical