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

Together, they represent the physical sciences, life sciences and social sciences, and they host studies that have not yet been through peer review.

From Science Daily

“Our priority is always to uphold the integrity of the scientific record,” said Karl Ziemelis, chief applied and physical sciences editor for Nature.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It can see things on the scale of a few thousandths of a millimetre," explained Adrian Mancuso, director of physical sciences at Diamond.

From BBC

Courses tended to also focus on solutions more than the physical science.

From Science Daily

The presidency describes the programme as "essentially an open South African school teaching physical science, mathematics, biology and English".

From BBC