physically

adverb

phys·​i·​cal·​ly ˈfi-zi-k(ə-)lē 

1

: in a physical manner : in accord with physical laws

It seemed that such long distance flights would be physically impossible without a highly energy-efficient form of soaring.

—Henri Weimerskirch

2

: in respect to the body

a physically demanding job

Just two weeks before his death, Belushi was physically ejected from an L.A. convenience store at 2 a.m. when he insisted on buying liquor after hours.

—Peter Carlson

I loved it; but I was physically exhausted when I walked out of that studio on Sunday nights …

—Brent Musberger

Examples of physically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By the end of 2025, Agility partnered with the fintech firm Mercado to deploy Digit to handle physically demanding tasks in its fulfillment network. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026

Our city is at a critical point, both physically and fiscally. —Betty Resch, Sun Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026

The American Nurses Association found that one in four nurses reported being physically assaulted on the job. —Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2026

Many Gulf desalination plants are physically integrated with power stations as co‑generation facilities, meaning attacks on electrical infrastructure could also hinder water production. —Annika Hammerschlag, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing physically

• hyper-physically
• physically distance
• physically ill