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-

1

a

: 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

philosophically

ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-k(ə-)lē 

 also  -ˈzä-

adverb

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

The revered text, which follows a devastating family feud and explores profound philosophical and spiritual ideas, has had numerous film and TV adaptations, including an immensely popular one on Indian state broadcasting channel Doordarshan and one by Peter Brook, which was recently restored. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025

Co-written by Bentley with Greg Kwedar (the primary creative team behind ‘Sing Sing’), ‘Train Dreams’ thrives on its philosophical inquiries into the earthly randomness of events that make up a life. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2025

Non-medical exemptions for vaccines are often for religious, personal or philosophical reasons. —David Higgins, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025

Wisdom from on high — and down low Henry is philosophical by nature. —Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing philosophical

• philosophical analysis

Rhymes for philosophical

• theosophical
• unphilosophical

Kids Definition

philosophical

adjective

philo·​soph·​i·​cal

ˌfil-ə-ˈsäf-i-kəl

variants also philosophic

-ik

1

: of, relating to, or based on philosophy

2

: characterized by the attitude of a philosopher

especially : calm and patient when faced with trouble

philosophically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb