physiological
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to physiology
-
of or relating to normal healthful functioning; not pathological
Other Word Forms
- nonphysiologic adjective
- nonphysiological adjective
- nonphysiologically adverb
- physiologically adverb
- unphysiological adjective
- unphysiologically adverb
Etymology
Origin of physiological
First recorded in 1600–10; physiolog(y) + -ical
Compare meaning
How does physiological compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Anything physiological has to do with the body and its systems. You might notice that your physiological response to a scary movie includes your heart beating faster and your hands getting sweaty. You know that the root word of physiological is phys, which refers to the body (think of those phys. ed. classes you panted through). That root comes from the Greek word for nature. Add the suffix ology, which means "the study of" (see where we're going?), and finally, tack on that little ical. Ta-taa! You have turned the root into an adjective to describe the way your body works. Let's get physiological!
Vocabulary lists containing physiological
Silent Spring
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"Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry" by Rudolfo Anaya
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The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
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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.
"There's often a physiological and emotional impact that's shared and that isn't given the same weight as the physical impact maybe because it's more difficult to see."
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
The study, "Coordinated molecular and physiological adaptations enable activity at subfreezing temperature in the snow fly Chionea alexandriana," will appear in the April 6 volume of the journal Current Biology and feature on the cover.
From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026
The study is investigating the safety and tolerability of LX9851, how it moves through the body and its physiological and biological impacts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
That purported healing is taking place at “Free Spirits Wellness Center,” a mock-up clinic led by Sting dedicated to advance physiological and cognitive expansion for people working under intense pressure.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
“All the physiological stigmata of old age have been abolished. And along with them, of course . . .” “Don’t forget to ask him about that Malthusian belt,” said Fanny.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
