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

To stand in our power of sexy, and that was a huge, huge philosophical shift within the business. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

In a spring 2026 paper, Ravfogel and his NYU colleagues Shashwat Singh and Tal Linzen raised an even broader philosophical concern with how language model researchers seek evidence of introspection. — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026

Walls were a technology of space, and the bombers were a technology of speed – inspiring his philosophical approach to understanding the world. — Shahnaz Bashir, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026

And Throtl didn’t just re-use so much of the Civic for aesthetic or philosophical reasons. — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 3 Nov. 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