physical
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin physicālis, from Latin physica (“study of nature”), from Ancient Greek φυσική (phusikḗ), feminine singular of φυσικός (phusikós, “natural; physical”), from φύσις (phúsis, “origin, birth; nature, quality; form, shape; type, kind”), from φῠ́ω (phúō, “grow”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear, become, rise up”).
Pronunciation
Adjective
physical (comparative more physical, superlative most physical)
- Of medicine.
- (obsolete) Pertaining to the field of medicine; medical.
- (obsolete) That practises medicine; pertaining to doctors, physicianly.
- 1788, Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary: A Fiction:
- Her father was thrown from his horse, when his blood was in a very inflammatory state, and the bruises were very dangerous; his recovery was not expected by the physical tribe.
- (obsolete) Medicinal; good for the health, curative, therapeutic.
- 1579, Thomas North, translating Pliny, Parallel Lives:
- Phisicall herbes, as Helleborum, Lingewort, or Beares foote.
- 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
- Is Brutus sick? and is it physical / To walk unbraced, and suck up the humours / Of the dank morning?
- 1579, Thomas North, translating Pliny, Parallel Lives:
- Of matter and nature.
- Pertaining to the world as understood through the senses rather than the mind; tangible, concrete; real. Having to do with the material world.
- 1848, John Stuart Mill, Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy. , volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John W Parker, , →OCLC:
- Labour, then, in the physical world, is […] employed in putting objects in motion.
- 2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8837, page 74:
- In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result.
- It's not so much a physical place as a state of mind.
- In accordance with the laws of nature; now specifically, pertaining to physics.
- 2012 January, Michael Riordan, “Tackling Infinity”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 30 April 2013, page 86:
- Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories, including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains.
- The substance has a number of interesting physical properties.
- Denoting a map showing natural features of the landscape (compare political).
- Pertaining to the world as understood through the senses rather than the mind; tangible, concrete; real. Having to do with the material world.
- Of the human body.
- Having to do with the body as opposed to the mind; corporeal, bodily.
- Are you feeling any physical effects?
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 1, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
- A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere physical force.
- Sexual, carnal.
- Involving bodily force or contact; vigorous, aggressive.
- This team plays a very physical game, so watch out.
- Having to do with the body as opposed to the mind; corporeal, bodily.
Antonyms
- mental, psychical, psychological, spiritual; having to do with the mind or spirit (or both) viewed as distinct from body.
Derived terms
- antiphysical
- get physical
- mechanophysical
- physical anthropology
- physical body
- physical break
- physical change
- physical chemistry
- physical comedy
- physical constant
- physical culture
- physical diagnosis
- physical distancing
- physical education
- physical examination
- physical finger
- physical geographer
- physical geography
- physical law
- physical love
- physical map
- physical mediumship
- physical plant
- physical quantity
- physical relations
- physical science
- physical state
- physical system
- physical theatre
- physical therapist
- physical therapy
- physical training
- physical twin
- physical unclonable function
- physical world
- thermophysical
Related terms
Translations
having to do with the material world; tangible
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having to do with physics
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having to do with the body; corporeal
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involving bodily force; vigorous
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Noun
physical (plural physicals)
- Physical examination.
- (parapsychology) A physical manifestation of psychic origin, as through ectoplasmic solidification.
- 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
- "I don't mind readings and clairvoyance, but the physicals do try you."
Translations
physical examination
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