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 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
: a metaphysical poet of the 17th century
Synonyms of metaphysical
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
Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2026
In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
His concern was metaphysical confusion.
—Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
The general thrust of the changes were to de-melodramatize Salieri’s action and to focus more attention on his guilt and metaphysical torment.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
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Adjective
In the summer of 2023, the original organizers of what would become the Denver Summit NWSL franchise had a hunch—more like metaphysical certitude, really—that a massive untapped market existed for professional women’s soccer in the Mile High City.
—Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2026
In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
His concern was metaphysical confusion.
—Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
The general thrust of the changes were to de-melodramatize Salieri’s action and to focus more attention on his guilt and metaphysical torment.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for metaphysical
Cite this Entry
“Metaphysical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphysical. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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