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.

---

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

---

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

---

noun

1. a poet of this group

Other Word Forms

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

Where this story takes place — which metaphysical realm it’s actually set in — is skimmed over entirely.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

A metaphysical reality thick with angels and sacraments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Wellness has become the new luxury, but with a metaphysical twist.

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

As a 3-year-old, Smith recalls grilling her mother during evening prayers, posing metaphysical questions about Jesus and the soul, immersing herself in Bible study and later joining her mother as a Jehovah’s Witness.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

He was as cynical as I was regarding uplift and hope, and we were proud of having escaped what we called the “childhood disease of metaphysical fear.”

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

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