philosophical
adjective
phil·o·soph·i·cal
ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-kəl 
also -ˈzä-
variants
or less commonly philosophic
ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fik
also -ˈzä-
1
a
: of or relating to philosophers or philosophy
b
: based on philosophy
2
: characterized by the attitude of a philosopher
specifically
: calm or unflinching in the face of trouble, defeat, or loss
Examples of philosophical in a Sentence
They got into a philosophical debate about what it means for something to be “natural.”
He's trying to be philosophical about their decision since he knows he can't change it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Some are practical, some are philosophical: Bum addresses: Sometimes people move and don't update their addresses with the Department of Transportation.
—
Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
The prospects for either compromise on practical details or defense on philosophical principle have thus far been unencouraging.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Apr. 2024
In conversation, Park has a professorial manner and a philosophical bent.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
The question of what constitutes fulfillment for her turns her cheerily philosophical.
—Robin Keats, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
His groundbreaking approach to abstraction and the philosophical themes in his work have been foundational in evolving our thinking about the collection.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
In addition to philosophical concepts by philosophers like Renes Decartes and Jean Baudrillard, The Matrix also drew on elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Judaism and Christianity.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
It was designed to make divorce easier for women by giving it philosophical justification.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
Pirsig used the ride to frame an intense philosophical work that was published to wide acclaim and is still relevant today.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
The prospects for either compromise on practical details or defense on philosophical principle have thus far been unencouraging.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Apr. 2024
In conversation, Park has a professorial manner and a philosophical bent.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
The question of what constitutes fulfillment for her turns her cheerily philosophical.
—Robin Keats, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024
His groundbreaking approach to abstraction and the philosophical themes in his work have been foundational in evolving our thinking about the collection.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
In addition to philosophical concepts by philosophers like Renes Decartes and Jean Baudrillard, The Matrix also drew on elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Judaism and Christianity.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
It was designed to make divorce easier for women by giving it philosophical justification.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
Pirsig used the ride to frame an intense philosophical work that was published to wide acclaim and is still relevant today.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'philosophical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Philosophical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophical. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
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