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

• bodiless
• ethereal
• formless
• immaterial
• incorporeal
• insubstantial
• nonmaterial
• spiritual
• unbodied
• unsubstantial

Examples of nonphysical in a Sentence

ghosts are generally thought to be nonphysical in nature

Recent Examples on the Web

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

One of Ansari’s top financial backers was a group advocating for cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems. —Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 3 Oct. 2024

For Dualism, how can something nonphysical interact with anything physical? —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonphysical

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