metaphysical

1 of 2

adjective

meta·​phys·​i·​cal ˌme-tə-ˈfi-zi-kəl 

1

: of or relating to metaphysics

metaphysical truth

metaphysical speculation

2

a

: of or relating to the transcendent (see transcendent sense 1) or to a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses

… fleeing from experience to a metaphysical realm …

—John Dewey

b

: supernatural

… fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crown'd …

—William Shakespeare

3

: highly abstract or abstruse

also : theoretical

metaphysical reasoning

4

often Metaphysical : of or relating to poetry especially of the early 17th century that is highly intellectual and philosophical and marked by unconventional figurative language

metaphysical poets

metaphysically

ˌme-tə-ˈfi-zi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Metaphysical

2 of 2

noun

: a metaphysical poet of the 17th century

Synonyms of metaphysical

Adjective

• theoretical
• abstract
• conceptual
• mental

Examples of metaphysical in a Sentence

Adjective

a metaphysical world of spirits

a work that deals with such metaphysical questions as the very nature of knowledge

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As well as playing with the mood of real locales, the new season also allowed for an expansion of the metaphysical space known as ‘The Portal,’ a dreamlike environment which people who have ingested the Blue Angel mushroom are all connected to, and though it, even to each other. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 25 June 2026

The essay helped stir 20th-century interest in and appreciation for the Metaphysical poets of the 17th century, which included John Donne, Andrew Marvell, and George Herbert. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 June 2026

Instrumental rock music of the kind Horse Lords make—hypnotic, hyper-focused, complex—usually carries a whiff of manifesto, offering a map toward transcendence of some political, metaphysical, or pick-your-variety kind. — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 16 June 2026

Rationality lurks in theology from the beginning, just as philosophy never shakes off its yearning for the metaphysical. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1887, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for metaphysical

• astrophysical
• biophysical
• geophysical
• psychophysical
• thermophysical
• nonphysical
• physical
• quizzical

Kids Definition

metaphysical

adjective

meta·​phys·​i·​cal ˌmet-ə-ˈfiz-i-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or based on metaphysics

2

: supernatural sense 1

3

: difficult to understand : abstract

metaphysically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb