metaphysical

American  

[met-uh-fiz-i-kuhl] / ˌmɛt əˈfɪz ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics.

2. Philosophy.

   1. concerned with abstract thought or subjects, as existence, causality, or truth.

   2. concerned with first principles and ultimate grounds, as being, time, or substance.

3. highly abstract, subtle, or abstruse.

4. designating or pertaining to the poetry of an early group of 17th-century English poets, notably John Donne, whose characteristic style is highly intellectual and philosophical and features intensive use of ingenious conceits and turns of wit.

5. Archaic. imaginary or fanciful.

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metaphysical ¹ British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪkəl /

adjective

1. relating to or concerned with metaphysics

2. (of a statement or theory) having the form of an empirical hypothesis, but in fact immune from empirical testing and therefore (in the view of the logical positivists) literally meaningless

3. (popularly) abstract, abstruse, or unduly theoretical

4. incorporeal; supernatural

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Metaphysical ² British  

/ ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪkəl /

adjective

1. denoting or relating to certain 17th-century poets who combined intense feeling with ingenious thought and often used elaborate imagery and conceits. Notable among them were Donne, Herbert, and Marvell

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noun

1. a poet of this group

Other Word Forms

• antimetaphysical adjective
• antimetaphysically adverb
• hypermetaphysical adjective
• metaphysically adverb
• nonmetaphysical adjective
• nonmetaphysically adverb
• quasi-metaphysical adjective
• quasi-metaphysically adverb
• unmetaphysical adjective
• unmetaphysically adverb

Etymology

Origin of metaphysical

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English metaphisicalle, from Medieval Latin metaphysicālis; equivalent to metaphysic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Where this story takes place — which metaphysical realm it’s actually set in — is skimmed over entirely.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

We do serious metaphysical work for them—aiding their future, speeding their purgation, and keeping them present in the thick cosmos that surrounds us.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Wellness has become the new luxury, but with a metaphysical twist.

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

A pivotal town in the Civil War that hosted numerous major battles, Gettysburg is a quaint town with no shortage of legends, which lend life to its more metaphysical residents.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025

The categories of grammar reflect the building blocks of thought—time, space, causality, matter—and a philosophical wordsmith can play with them to awaken her readers to metaphysical conundrums.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• abstract
• abstruse
• esoteric
• mystical
• philosophical
• spiritual
• supernatural
• theoretical