philosophical

adjective

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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

Other Words from philosophical Example Sentences Phrases Containing philosophical Learn More About philosophical

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 This means that the novel feels less tethered to mimetic reality and instead takes its form from psychological and philosophical reality. — Akhil Sharma, The New Yorker, 29 July 2022 These are some of the practical ways uncontrolled exchange-rate fluctuations endanger financial stability at home and abroad, but these fluctuations also present a philosophical threat that cuts to the core of the global market economy. — Joseph C. Sternberg, WSJ, 28 July 2022 Hershovitz also said that storytime is one of the best times to have philosophical conversations. — Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 27 July 2022 As for Kutcher's own perspectives on today's stressful times rife with climate woes and the war in Ukraine – his wife, Mila Kunis, was born in Ukraine – the actor waxes philosophical. — Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 26 July 2022 In the place of such philosophical conundrums, Oldenburg pursued a classically Pop agenda in that his sculptures are inseparable from their identity as consumer objects. — New York Times, 19 July 2022 Consciousness presents a particularly knotty philosophical puzzle, and there is no easy consensus on how to define it, let alone prove its presence. — Camille Bromley, The Atlantic, 18 July 2022 Liberals must fight back tooth and nail, and not on some statistical point cooked up by some timid pollster, but at the very philosophical root of the argument. — Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 11 July 2022 What shows like Severance and Westworld are doing is burying philosophical dilemmas beneath that sleek veneer. — Wired, 9 July 2022 See More

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.