nonphysical

adjective

non·​phys·​i·​cal ˌnän-ˈfi-zi-kəl 

: not physical

A baseball manager recognizes a nonphysical talent, hustle, as an essential gift of great players and great teams.

—Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.

… a cycle of creation and destruction that determines all reality, physical and nonphysical.

—David Redles

Synonyms

• spiritual
• metaphysical
• psychical
• incorporeal
• supernatural
• psychic

Examples of nonphysical in a Sentence

ghosts are generally thought to be nonphysical in nature

Recent Examples on the Web

In accounting, intangible assets are nonphysical possessions including such things as brands and intellectual property, software, mineral rights ‒ and contracts. —Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Consequently, legal advocates have argued for decades for a better framework that emphasizes nonphysical forms of abuse as well as physical abuse. —Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025

What are intangible assets? Intangible assets are nonphysical resources that generate economic and strategic value, such as patents, trademarks, customer trust and innovation capacity. —Tami Saito, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Ansari answers crypto question with call for campaign finance reform Ansari’s candidacy was boosted by a massive expenditure from advocates of cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems. —Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonphysical

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