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

Your planetary ruler, Mercury, moves into Taurus on Monday, May 6, putting you in a philosophical mentality. — Randon Rosenbohm, Allure, "What May’s Virgo Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 30 Apr. 2019 The capital-gains proposal highlights the political and philosophical challenges Democrats, now in control in both chambers, still face in their quest to make Washington’s tax system less regressive. — Joseph O’sullivan, The Seattle Times, "Washington Senate lawmakers propose a budget with a different idea for a capital-gains tax," 29 Mar. 2019 A half-hour sitcom that explores the philosophical roots of ethical behavior in a bizarro version of the afterlife? — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "TV Technica 2018: Our favorite shows and binges," 24 Dec. 2018 But the distinctions between their descriptions of the chair—one that emphasizes a philosophical approach and one with far more emphasis on atheists as an identity group—is telling. — Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, "How Should Atheism Be Taught?," 31 Jan. 2018 But the Milwaukee Bucks had to be more philosophical about their drastic improvement. — Ben Cohen, WSJ, "There’s a LeBron-Shaped Hole in Half of the NBA," 15 Nov. 2018 But these discussions can quickly become philosophical about the nature of sport and the true limits of human performance. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte broke doping rules. It happens far more than you think.," 24 July 2018 An optimistic 13-year-old, Todd is philosophical about the state of the playground up until now. — Samantha Melamed, Philly.com, "Can a new basketball court save a struggling Philly neighborhood?," 27 June 2018 One is the above philosophical issue of draining the mood from a photo for the sake of technical excellence. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Google’s Night Sight is subtly awesome in the daytime, too," 26 Nov. 2018

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.