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nonphysical

adjective

ˌnän-ˈfi-zi-kəl How to pronounce nonphysical (audio)
Definition of nonphysicalnext
as in spiritual
not composed of matter ghosts are generally thought to be nonphysical in nature

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 For Dualism, how can something nonphysical interact with anything physical? — Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024 But amortization, the term for depreciating nonphysical assets, was less straightforward. — Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 8 July 2021 See All Example Sentences for nonphysical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonphysical
  1. spiritual
  2. metaphysical
  3. incorporeal
  4. supernatural
  5. psychic
Adjective
  • In the years since grit’s heyday, much of American culture has succumbed to a state of emotional and spiritual defeat.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Leadership continuously draws from a finite reserve of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy.
    — Dennis Volpe, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiritual
Adjective
  • For decades, metaphysical stores and botanicas have sold religious items and offered spiritual cleansings and readings in spite of stigmatization and gentrification.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Eddy has been spared the worst violence; the novel casts his racial privilege as a kind of metaphysical exemption.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of metaphysical
Adjective
  • Followers of the Abrahamic religions are supposed to treat God as immaterial and incorporeal, yet these early Yahweh worshippers imagined him as fully embodied.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of incorporeal
Adjective
  • But the choice of this particular angle of attack reveals the almost supernatural staying power of a rumor, or urban legend, that started roughly four decades ago.
    — Allen Salkin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The original seven-season series followed Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, a young woman who slays vampires, demons and other supernatural creatures with the help of her friends.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of supernatural
Adjective
  • While psychic readers have storefronts in other parts of the city, this change applies to the Community Business and Boulevard Business zoning districts, which previously did not permit soothsaying.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For now, Oluko is forging a smooth psychic path for Leighton to do this work.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of psychic

Browse Nearby Words

nonperishable
nonphysical
nonphysician
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonphysical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonphysical. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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