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 Declaration of Independence represents a distillation of centuries of philosophical thought on weighty concepts such as freedom, natural rights, and social contract theories. — Carmine Gallo, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

There are only yogas in the plural – many forms of yoga practice associated with different traditions, philosophical schools and religions. — Jeremy David Engels, The Conversation, 23 June 2026

This raises a question that sounds philosophical but is becoming increasingly practical. — Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2026

The three men’s alignment on that philosophical premise means that Víg’s scores rarely require lengthy revision rounds. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2026

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