Metaphysical
Example: She studied metaphysical questions about existence and reality.
Definition
"Metaphysical" refers to concepts or questions related to the fundamental nature of reality, existence, and the universe that go beyond the physical or empirical sciences. It often deals with abstract ideas such as being, causality, and the nature of objects and their properties.
Etymology
The word "metaphysical" originates from the Greek words 'meta' meaning 'beyond' or 'after' and 'physika' meaning 'physical things.' It was first used to describe Aristotle's works that came after his writings on physics, dealing with abstract philosophical inquiries beyond the physical world. Did you know that the term was popularized as a distinct philosophical branch only in the early modern period?
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"Metaphysical" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - Philosophy - (B1) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used words.
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