Definition of PLATONIC

Two Meanings of Platonic

The two most common senses of platonic come from the same source, yet are different enough in meaning that it is rather important to distinguish between them. The original sense relates to the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, or to his philosophy. It will always be capitalized. A secondary meaning that also stems from the name of the philosopher describes feelings or a relationship that are characterized by an absence of romance or sex (a platonic relationship in this sense might simply be called a friendship). This sense alludes to Plato’s belief that love between people could be so strong as to transcend physical attachments.

Examples of platonic in a Sentence

Whereas in the more northerly clime of England the courtly lover of Malory and the Round Table tended to platonic adoration from afar, the Parisian woman already expected—and received—more earthly devotion. — Alistair Horne, Seven Ages of Paris, 2002 Relax. The Three Phils are strictly platonic. Yet three-pal business relationships are just as vulnerable to messy implosions as their romantic counterparts. — Anne Marie Cruz, ESPN, 7 Feb. 2000 … before concluding that your PC is for work and not pleasure, try hooking up a couple of first-rate speakers and then planting yourself in the platonic ideal of the chair. — Fortune, Summer 1998 They had a platonic friendship, not a romantic one. Our relationship was strictly platonic.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the truth is that B.J. is so much more like family now than a platonic friend. — Blake Bakkila, Good Housekeeping, "Mindy Kaling Reveals She's So Close With B.J. Novak, He's Her Daughter's Godfather," 3 May 2019 This is the first time Fox has said anything definitive about her and LaBeouf's (clearly not platonic) relationship. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "Megan Fox Admits She Dated Shia LaBeouf During Their 'Transformers' Days," 30 Nov. 2018 This is really our platonic ideal for a crossover: the material quality, features, and behind-the-wheel gratification of a luxury ride, in an affordable car that’s not begging for badge-snob attention. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The 2019 Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards," 16 Apr. 2019 Seeing platonic relationships that actually work has inspired me to look for more male friends. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "#ReadWithMC Reviews Christina Lauren's 'My Favorite Half-Night Stand'," 1 Feb. 2019 Ok, these photos are adorable, and definitely NOT platonic! — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Everything We Know About Ashley Benson and Cara Delevingne's Relationship So Far," 14 Aug. 2018 In Mingle All the Way, Molly Hoffman (Jen Lilley) creates an app to help single partygoers find a platonic plus one to bring to their their holiday soirées. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Hallmark's 'Mingle All the Way' Was Filmed in This Super Popular Canadian City," 1 Dec. 2018 Cate Blanchett is appealingly brisk and no-nonsense as Mrs. Zimmerman, and her bantering, snippy, utterly platonic relationship with Jonathan Barnavelt is a rare thing in cinema, in kids’ films and adult movies alike. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "Films like The House With a Clock In Its Walls are poisonous to kids’ cinema," 23 Sep. 2018 Building a brand that speaks to a changing market Design often plateaus once the platonic ideal of a product becomes established—like mobile phones have all become slight variations on slim glass rectangles. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "The rise of the direct-to-consumer home," 21 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'platonic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.