metamorphic

adjective

meta·​mor·​phic ˌme-tə-ˈmȯr-fik 

1

: of or relating to metamorphosis

2

of a rock : of, relating to, or produced by metamorphism

metamorphically

ˌme-tə-ˈmȯr-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of metamorphic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The black expanse of thin, dense and relatively young basalt from those centers stands in stark contrast to thicker, more buoyant continental crust, which is primarily granite but contains the full gamut of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks and can be billions of years old. —Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026

The polished greenstone might have brought good luck from the high fabled places which glimmered in its metamorphic sheen. —Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026

Its effects are evident in her metamorphic depictions of her subjects. —Essence, 17 Dec. 2025

It was fashioned from gneiss, a hard metamorphic rock. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

meta- + -morphic, after metamorphosis

Note: The geological term was introduced by Charles lyell in Principles of Geology, vol. 3 (London, 1833), p. 375: "We divide the hypogene rocks, then, into the unstratified, or plutonic, and the altered stratified. For these last the term 'metamorphic' (from μετα, trans, and μορφη, form) may be used." See also note at metamorphism.

First Known Use

1816, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for metamorphic

• automorphic
• geomorphic
• holomorphic
• homomorphic
• isomorphic
• meromorphic
• monomorphic
• polymorphic
• anthropomorphic
• homeomorphic
• dimorphic
• dysmorphic

Kids Definition

metamorphic

adjective

meta·​mor·​phic ˌmet-ə-ˈmȯr-fik 

: changed into a more compact form by the action of pressure, heat, and water

a metamorphic rock

compare igneous, sedimentary sense 2

Medical Definition

metamorphic

adjective

meta·​mor·​phic ˌmet-ə-ˈmȯr-fik 

: of or relating to metamorphosis