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
John Dewey
b
: supernatural
fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crown'd—William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare3
: highly abstract or abstruse
4
often capitalized
: 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
: a metaphysical poet of the 17th century
Synonyms
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 WebJoshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
On Season 2, the vast metaphysical bureaucracy of the Time Variance Authority — which Loki has come to think of as his second home — becomes catastrophically overburdened by the multiverse, placing everyone Loki has come to hold dear in existential peril.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 13 Nov. 2023
All of Us Strangers Searchlight Related Stories Andrew Haigh’s metaphysical drama, adapted from Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel Strangers, stars Andrew Scott as a London screenwriter who begins a relationship with a mysterious neighbor played by Paul Mescal.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Nov. 2023
His abstractions, though, are deeply rooted in art history and in heady metaphysical notions, referencing the avant-garde ideas of early conceptual artists like Russian Kazimir Malevich and Frenchman Marcel Duchamp.
—Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023
It is considered a work of Gothic fiction, with themes of madness, family, isolation, and metaphysical identities, which are also likely to be themes in the new series.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 13 Oct. 2023
Still, one way to oppose rule by moral and spiritual orthodoxy is to be guided by an alternative metaphysical dogma.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
As a young college student, Grace encountered astrology and numerology through the metaphysical movement occurring throughout the 90s.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023
Adventure Time couldn’t resist invoking deeply existential, metaphysical concepts through a childlike lens.
—WIRED, 23 Sep. 2023
See More
Adjective
Can a movie be made up of six chapters of violence, each one cut with vicious economy (by Fincher’s longtime editor Kirk Baxter), with no resort to flowery gangster language or metaphysical meandering?
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
On Season 2, the vast metaphysical bureaucracy of the Time Variance Authority — which Loki has come to think of as his second home — becomes catastrophically overburdened by the multiverse, placing everyone Loki has come to hold dear in existential peril.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 13 Nov. 2023
All of Us Strangers Searchlight Related Stories Andrew Haigh’s metaphysical drama, adapted from Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel Strangers, stars Andrew Scott as a London screenwriter who begins a relationship with a mysterious neighbor played by Paul Mescal.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Nov. 2023
His abstractions, though, are deeply rooted in art history and in heady metaphysical notions, referencing the avant-garde ideas of early conceptual artists like Russian Kazimir Malevich and Frenchman Marcel Duchamp.
—Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023
It is considered a work of Gothic fiction, with themes of madness, family, isolation, and metaphysical identities, which are also likely to be themes in the new series.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 13 Oct. 2023
Still, one way to oppose rule by moral and spiritual orthodoxy is to be guided by an alternative metaphysical dogma.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023
As a young college student, Grace encountered astrology and numerology through the metaphysical movement occurring throughout the 90s.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023
Adventure Time couldn’t resist invoking deeply existential, metaphysical concepts through a childlike lens.
—WIRED, 23 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metaphysical.' 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
“Metaphysical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphysical. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
metaphysical
adjective
meta·phys·i·cal
ˌmet-ə-ˈfiz-i-kəl
1
: of, relating to, or based on metaphysics
3
: difficult to understand : abstract
More from Merriam-Webster on metaphysical
Nglish: Translation of metaphysical for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of metaphysical for Arabic Speakers
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