philosophical
Americanadjective
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of or relating to philosophy.
philosophical studies.
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versed in or occupied with philosophy.
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proper to or befitting a philosopher.
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rationally or sensibly calm, patient, or composed.
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Rare. of or relating to natural philosophy or physical science.
adjective
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of or relating to philosophy or philosophers
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reasonable, wise, or learned
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calm and stoical, esp in the face of difficulties or disappointments
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(formerly) of or relating to science or natural philosophy
Other Word Forms
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philosophicalnessnoun
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antiphilosophicadjective
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antiphilosophicaladjective
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nonphilosophicadjective
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nonphilosophicaladjective
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pseudophilosophicaladjective
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quasi-philosophicaladjective
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semiphilosophicadjective
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semiphilosophicaladjective
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unphilosophicadjective
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unphilosophicaladjective
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antiphilosophicallyadverb
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nonphilosophicallyadverb
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philosophicallyadverb
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quasi-philosophicallyadverb
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semiphilosophicallyadverb
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unphilosophicallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of philosophical
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: “learned; pertaining to alchemy,” from Latin philosophic(us) (from Greek philosophikós; see philosopher, -ic) + -al 1
Explanation
To be philosophical is to stay detached and thoughtful in the face of a setback, or to approach a tough situation in a level-headed way. When his girlfriend left him, Bernard was philosophical: "If she loves me, she'll return." In ancient Greece, philosophy literally meant a love of knowledge and wisdom. In modern times, the field of philosophy is more specifically the study of how we think through problems. Great philosophers have all sorts of theories about how and why we think and act the way we do, but the word philosophical often just means that you choose to be more thoughtful and look at the 'big picture' when dealing with challenges.
Vocabulary lists containing philosophical
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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All You Need is Love: Amor and Phil
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The Lightning Thief
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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.
In a new paper in Philosophical Transactions B, we propose a neural model for minimal consciousness in insects.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
It is believed that Gordon Augustus Thomson, who travelled from Belfast to Hawaii in 1840, had removed iwi kūpuna from burial caves and donated them to Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society in 1857.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025
She also performs staged versions of her Instagram Live events, for free, typically at the Philosophical Research Society.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2025
She is an assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies at Kennesaw State University and a fellow at the American Institute for Philosophical and Cultural Thought.
From Salon • Oct. 19, 2024
The first page was typewritten, a title page, and it said: An Analysis of Some Philosophical Implications of the Rusakov Field, by Gerard Bonneville, Ph.D.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
