physical
AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Adjective (7)
- involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit“physical exercise”“physical suffering”“was sloppy about everything but her physical appearance”Opposite mentalSimilar animal, bodily, personal, material, physiologic, somatogenic
- relating to the sciences dealing with matter and energy; especially physics“physical sciences”“physical laws”Relating to natural philosophy
- having substance or material existence; perceptible to the senses“a physical manifestation”Opposite immaterialSimilar material
- according with material things or natural laws (other than those peculiar to living matter)“a reflex response to physical stimuli”Opposite supernaturalSimilar natural
- characterized by energetic bodily activity“a very physical dance performance”Opposite lethargicSimilar energetic
- impelled by physical force especially against resistance“forcible entry”“a real cop would get physical”“strong-arm tactics”Synonyms: forciblestrong-armOpposite forcelessSimilar forceful
- concerned with material things“physical properties”“the physical characteristics of the earth”“the physical size of a computer”
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Adjective having to do with the material world
- Spanish
- físico
- French
- physique
- German
- physisch
- Italian
- fisico
- Portuguese
- físico
- Turkish
- fiziksel
- Russian
- физи́ческий fizíčeskij
- Arabic
- مَادِّيّ māddiyy
- Dutch
- fysiek
- Polish
- fizyczny
20 more languages
- Swedish
- fysisk
- Greek
- φυσικός fysikós
- Indonesian
- fisik
- Hungarian
- fizikai
- Portuguese (PT)
- físico
- Albanian
- fizik
- Catalan
- físic
- Czech
- fyzický
- Danish
- fysisk
- Esperanto
- fizika
- Estonian
- füüsiline
- Finnish
- fyysinen
- Georgian
- ფიზიკური piziḳuri
- Hebrew
- פיזי fízi
- Latvian
- fizisks
- Norwegian
- fysisk
- Romanian
- fizic
- Serbo-Croatian
- fizički
- Slovak
- fyzikálny
- Welsh
- ffisegol
Adjective having to do with physics
- Spanish
- físico
- French
- physique
- German
- physikalisch
- Portuguese
- físico
- Turkish
- fiziksel
- Russian
- физи́ческий fizíčeskij
- Arabic
- فِيزِيَائِيّ fīziyāʔiyy
- Dutch
- fysisch
- Polish
- fizyczny
- Swedish
- fysikalisk
Adjective having to do with the body
- Spanish
- físico
- French
- physique
- German
- körperlich
- Portuguese
- físico
- Turkish
- bedensel
- Russian
- физи́ческий fizíčeskij
- Arabic
- بَدَنِيّ badaniyy
- Dutch
- lichamelijk
- Polish
- fizyczny
- Swedish
- fysisk
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
1. Of or pertaining to nature (as including all created existences); in accordance with the laws of nature; also, of or relating to natural or material things, or to the bodily structure, as opposed to things mental, moral, spiritual, or imaginary; material; natural; as, armies and navies are the physical force of a nation; the body is the physical part of man.
Labor, in the physical world, is... employed in putting objects in motion.— John Stuart Mill
A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere physical force.— Thomas Babington Macaulay
2. Of or pertaining to physics, or natural philosophy; treating of, or relating to, the causes and connections of natural phenomena; as, physical science; physical laws. “Physical philosophy.” Alexander Pope
3. Perceptible through a bodily or material organization; cognizable by the senses; external; as, the physical, opposed to chemical, characters of a mineral.
4. Of or pertaining to physic, or the art of medicine; medicinal; curative; healing; also, cathartic; purgative. obsolete “Physical herbs.” North, Sir Thomas
Is Brutus sick? and is it physical To walk unbraced, and suck up the humors Of the dank morning?— William Shakespeare
Physical astronomy, that part of astronomy which treats of the causes of the celestial motions; specifically, that which treats of the motions resulting from universal gravitation. — Physical education, training of the bodily organs and powers with a view to the promotion of health and vigor. — Physical examination Medicine, an examination of the bodily condition of a person. — Physical geography. See under Geography. — Physical point, an indefinitely small portion of matter; a point conceived as being without extension, yet having physical properties, as weight, inertia, momentum, etc.; a material point. — Physical signs Medicine, the objective signs of the bodily state afforded by a physical examination.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
<jargon> The opposite of logical in its jargon sense. Compare real, virtual, and transparent.
It is said that what you can touch and see is real; what you can see but not touch is virtual; what you can touch but not see is transparent; and what you can neither touch nor see is probably imaginary.
(2001-10-26)