metaphysic

noun meta·phys·ic \ ˌme-tə-ˈfi-zik \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Definition of metaphysic

1 a : metaphysics

b : a particular system of metaphysics

2 : the system of principles underlying a particular study or subject : philosophy 3b

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metaphysic

adjective

Recent Examples of metaphysic from the Web

Last year's The Rise and Fall of the D.O.D.O., co-written with Nicole Gilland, told the tale of a surreal above-top-secret DARPA-like organization dabbling in metaphysics and magic.

— john wenz, Popular Mechanics, "How Neal Stephenson Got Book Ideas by Moonlighting at Blue Origin," 19 June 2018
People looking to learn more about natural health, personal growth and metaphysics can do so at Body Mind Spirit Expo in Tinley Park.

— jessi virtusio, Daily Southtown, "Body Mind Spirit Expo in Tinley Park all about healing, empowering," 18 May 2018
Strike out on your own in this 7 year cycle, explore technology, metaphysics, a dream job, and consider that your work can be divinely inspired.

— rebecca gordon, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Cosmic Look at Your Next 7 Years," 17 May 2018
The book is a romance, a thriller and a meditation on geopolitical conundrums, ideology, science and metaphysics.

— glenn kenny, New York Times, "Review: In ‘Submergence,’ a Love Story Sunk by Geopolitics," 12 Apr. 2018
Ibn Khaldun only criticized Aristotle’s metaphysics, not the entirety of his enormous corpus.

— WSJ, "Off the Mark on Polymath Ibn Khaldun’s Writings," 30 Mar. 2018
The university recently announced that Anjan Chakravartty, a professor of metaphysics and the philosophy of science at the University of Notre Dame, will hold the chair.

— isabel fattal, The Atlantic, "How Should Atheism Be Taught?," 31 Jan. 2018
Her way with metaphor implies a metaphysics, in her case a metaphysics informed by her Calvinism: History is a fabric.

— donovan hohn, New York Times, "Democracy’s Fierce Defender," 9 Mar. 2018
Presence has a long history in religion and philosophy, from Buddhist practices to the metaphysics of the 20th-century philosopher Martin Heidegger.

— marcel o’gorman, The Atlantic, "The Case for Locking Up Your Smartphone," 2 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'metaphysic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.