metaphysical

UK: 'metaphysical', 'Metaphysical': /ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪk^əl/

US: /ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪkəl/

US: (met′ə fiz′i kəl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

met•a•phys•i•cal /ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪkəl/   adj. 

1. of or relating to metaphysics:
   the metaphysical notions of meaning, truth, and beauty.
2. Philosophy highly abstract, subtle, or difficult to understand:
   You've become too metaphysical for me at this point.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

met•a•phys•i•cal  (met′ə fiz′i kəl), adj. 

1. pertaining to or of the nature of metaphysics.
2. Philosophy
   • concerned with abstract thought or subjects, as existence, causality, or truth.
   • concerned with first principles and ultimate grounds, as being, time, or substance.
3. Philosophy highly abstract, subtle, or abstruse.
4. Literature 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.

• Medieval Latin metaphysicālis. See metaphysic, -al¹
• late Middle English metaphisicalle 1375–1425

met′a•phys′i•cal•ly, adv. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

metaphysical / ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪk^əl/ 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

ˌmetaˈphysically adverb

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Metaphysical / ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪk^əl/ 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

noun

1. a poet of this group