as in spiritual
not composed of matter
ghosts are generally thought to be nonphysical in nature
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Recent Examples of nonphysical
In Ayurveda, Prana, the life force carried by the breath, is understood to nourish both the mind and body and can be viewed as a nonphysical substance, finer than oxygen.
—
Trisha Swift, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
In accounting, intangible assets are nonphysical possessions including such things as brands and intellectual property, software, mineral rights ‒ and contracts.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Ansari answers crypto question with call for campaign finance reform
Ansari’s candidacy was boosted by a massive expenditure from advocates of cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
The second is Dualism, where there is a nonphysical or spiritual substance-such as a soul-that interacts with the brain and body.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonphysical
Trisha Swift, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
In accounting, intangible assets are nonphysical possessions including such things as brands and intellectual property, software, mineral rights ‒ and contracts.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Ansari answers crypto question with call for campaign finance reform
Ansari’s candidacy was boosted by a massive expenditure from advocates of cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
The second is Dualism, where there is a nonphysical or spiritual substance-such as a soul-that interacts with the brain and body.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonphysical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonphysical
Adjective
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If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting?—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
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This could look like spontaneous travel plans, shifting your career focus or even a spiritual awakening.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Beverly, a waitress who had another daughter and then a son in the two years after Smith was born (and eventually one more daughter), had little time for her eldest’s metaphysical ponderings.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
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The film follows a young couple (Qualley and Starkey), who inherit a farm in rural Arkansas and must conquer the demons, both physical and metaphysical, that haunt its legacy.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, magical life has the potential to be even more radically incorporeal than our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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Indeed, in stark contrast to the incorporeal nature of a digital image, each of Winant’s photographs is, in a sense, a discrete body: a fallible material entity that boasts a hidden physical history and that will compositionally deteriorate over time.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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Yes, this territory has been visited many times in other ways, mainly contemporary such as The Exoricst, but to see this kind of horror in what is described as a genre-bending supernatural thriller is a new one for me.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
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This came after director Ryan Coogler had asked her to work on his supernatural thriller, where Caton plays the son of a preacher.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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By 1974, though, many women had already discarded those notions as instruments of domination, psychic equivalents of the whalebone corset.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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If your story involves cloning, time travel, psychic powers, fine.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonphysical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonphysical. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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