philosophical

adjective

phil·o·soph·i·cal | \ ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-kəl also -ˈzä-

variants: or less commonly philosophic \ ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fik also -ˈzä-

Definition of philosophical

1a : of or relating to philosophers or philosophy

b : based on philosophy

2 : characterized by the attitude of a philosopher specifically : calm or unflinching in the face of trouble, defeat, or loss

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Examples of philosophical in a Sentence

They got into a philosophical debate about what it means for something to be “natural.” He's trying to be philosophical about their decision since he knows he can't change it.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thrive in a setting of civilized discussion with this engaging form of philosophical discourse. Occurs on the second Wednesday of the month. — Alan Goch, sun-sentinel.com, "Events for Broward and Miami-Dade counties for July 31-Aug. 6," 31 July 2019 But everyone cared very much about the life of the mind, deep philosophical issues, art, literature — a bus driver might recite Pushkin to you. — Denise Davidsonwriter, San Diego Union-Tribune, "‘Chimes of a Lost Cathedral’ echo sounds of Russian past, present," 28 July 2019 On the philosophical side, however, the stretch IRA rubs me the wrong way. — Michael Taylor, ExpressNews.com, "Bill sticks it to aristocracy, helps your retirement savings," 26 July 2019 Further, both magnum opuses enlist hundreds of musicians to articulate vast philosophical statements from their creators. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "CSO review: A vast exploration of Leonard Bernstein’s legacy over 2 nights," 25 July 2019 Like Frenchie’s nurturing, philosophical side and Hughie’s vulnerability, these human details make the characters more rounded and the violence seem more personal. — Shana O'neil, The Verge, "The Boys is a bloody manic mayhem dream show," 24 July 2019 Researchers are compelled to adopt philosophical interpretations of quantum mechanics precisely because no one can figure out a way to answer that question experimentally. — Quanta Magazine, "Quantum Darwinism, an Idea to Explain Objective Reality, Passes First Tests," 22 July 2019 An example of the diversity of philosophical perspectives in our caucus portrayed via T-shirts. — Hillary Borrud | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive.com, "Peter Courtney is Oregon’s longest serving lawmaker. Some say his time is up. Are Democrats really ready to push him out?," 20 July 2019 Training camp practices and preseason games should reveal who comes closest, but the eventual starter might also reflect a philosophical preference. — Jonas Shaffer, baltimoresun.com, "The four most interesting position battles at Ravens training camp," 19 July 2019

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