physical science

American  

noun

1. any of the natural sciences dealing with inanimate matter or with energy, as physics, chemistry, and astronomy.

2. these sciences collectively.

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physical science British  

noun

1. any of the sciences concerned with nonliving matter, energy, and the physical properties of the universe, such as physics, chemistry, astronomy, and geology Compare life science

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physical science Scientific  

1. Any of several branches of science, such as physics, chemistry, and astronomy, that study the nature and properties of energy and nonliving matter.

2. Compare life science

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Other Word Forms

• physical scientist noun

Etymology

Origin of physical science

First recorded in 1835–45

Compare meaning

How does physical-science compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• physical science vs. physics
• life science vs. physical science

Example Sentences

And women made up about 15 percent of engineering jobs, 25 percent of computer science jobs and 40 percent of physical science occupations, compared with their 47 percent share of all employed U.S. adults.

From Washington Post

The synthesis report summarised findings from three expert assessments published between 2021 and 2022 that looked at the physical science, impacts, and mitigation of climate change.

From Reuters

According to the National Weather Service, the term comes from the Spanish word “derecho” to mean “direct” or “straight ahead” and was first used in 1888 by a chemist and professor of physical sciences.

From Seattle Times

They looked across four categories — the life sciences and biomedicine, the physical sciences, technology and the social sciences — and found a steady drop in what they called “disruptive” findings.

From New York Times

The department’s National Center for Education Statistics reported that 42% of public schools struggled or were unable to fill vacancies for foreign languages, 40% for special education, and 37 percent for physical sciences.

From Washington Times