PHYSICAL • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Physical

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/fˈɪzɪkəl/ Listen

adjective

Physical adj.

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." "A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere physical force."

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."

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. (Obs.) "Physical herbs." "Is Brutus sick? and is it physical To walk unbraced, and suck up the humors Of the dank morning?"

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 (Med.), 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 (Med.), the objective signs of the bodily state afforded by a physical examination.

See images of 'Physical'

Etymology of 'Physical'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Physical" Quotes from Famous Books

... natural science is one of the most gratifying, and, to both, most fruitful evidences of the intellectual work of the present generation. But these metaphysical principles themselves become cognizable only when the physical effects, whose cause they are, become accessible to our knowledge; and every attempt to find them a priori, or only to extend them a priori, will always fail through the opposition of empirical facts; or even if this attempt accommodates itself to the existing state of knowledge ...

— The Theories of Darwin and Their Relation to Philosophy, Religion, and Morality • Rudolf Schmid

... effort, in which she concentrated, no longer all of her firmness of will, for that had long since been overcome, but all her physical strength. "No!" she replied, weakly, "no! no! ...

— Louise de la Valliere • Alexandre Dumas, Pere

... painfully as regarded my wrists; for above them my arms throbbed and burned as if the veins were distended almost to bursting-point, while my hands grew gradually cold and numb, and then became insensible as so much lead. The physical pain, however, was nothing to what I felt mentally. Only an hour or two before I was leading that calm, happy home-life, without a trouble beyond some petty disappointment in the garden or farm or during one of the hunting or shooting expeditions ...

— Charge! - A Story of Briton and Boer • George Manville Fenn

... admitted that they were quite distinct from the Huns who invaded Europe under Attila; and it may be doubted whether the term "Hun" is more appropriate to them than that of Turk or even of Chinese. The description of their physical character and habits left us by Procopius, who wrote when they were at the height of their power, is decidedly adverse to the view that they were really Huns. They were a light-complexioned race, whereas the Huns were decidedly swart; they were not ill-looking, whereas the ...

— The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 7. (of 7): The Sassanian or New Persian Empire • George Rawlinson

... have hinted at, what we specialists would call a consciously frigid but unconsciously passionate woman. As an intellectual woman she suppresses nature. But nature does and will assert herself, we believe. Often you will find an intellectual woman attracted unreasonably to a purely physical man—I mean, speaking generally, not in particular cases. You have read Ellen Key, I presume? Well, she expresses it well in some of the things she has written about affinities. Now, don't misunderstand me," he cautioned. "I am speaking generally, ...

— The Dream Doctor • Arthur B. Reeve

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