Platonically

[ pluh-ton-ik-lee, pley- ]

adverb

1. in a way that relates to or is influenced by the doctrines of Plato, especially his elevation of the spiritual or ideal over the physical and particular:

   These reminders of Jesus’ physical sufferings were necessary for certain Platonically inclined Christian philosophers who had no doubts about Jesus’ full divinity but were loath to admit his full humanity.

2. Usually pla·ton·i·cal·ly. in a nonromantic way that is free from sexual desire:

   There was a woman he saw platonically; they went to movies or dinner together, and that was all.

Other Words From

• an·ti-Pla·ton·i·cal·ly adverb
• pro-Pla·ton·i·cal·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Platonically¹

Platonic ( def ) + -ally ( def )

Example Sentences

Guston must have noticed, concluded Ware, that his images of Nixon and Agnew “simply didn’t have as much staying power as his Platonically powerful paintings of heads, bottles, legs, shoes, and lightbulbs.”

From Washington Post

This isn’t to insist that journalism is Platonically objective: Even the most dispassionate reporters make choices about what to leave in and what to leave out of their articles.

From Washington Post

His intelligence on the court is palpable—everything he does, shot or pass or steal, feels in tune with the energies of his team, and of the game itself, played Platonically.

From The New Yorker

“You can have a Platonically perfect model and still get the number wrong.”

From New York Times

Muzzle looked Platonically the incarnate idea of the Christian Parson.

From Project Gutenberg