What does "physical" mean?

1. (the human body) relating to the human body rather than the mind or feelings. 2. (real objects) relating to things you can see and touch; real or material. 3. (laws of nature) relating to the laws of nature and the world around us. 4. (medical check-up) a medical examination by a doctor to check your health.

physical — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01the human body

A2 · Elementary Medicine

adj. relating to the human body rather than the mind or feelings.

adj. relating to the human body as opposed to the mind, spirit, or emotions.

“Physical exercise is great for your heart and helps reduce stress.”

“The athlete's physical condition was peak, yet the coach remained concerned about his mental preparation for the final match.”

Synonyms

bodily corporeal

Antonyms

mental spiritual

02real objects

B1 · Intermediate Science

adj. relating to things you can see and touch; real or material.

adj. relating to things perceived through the senses as opposed to the mind; tangible or material.

“I prefer reading physical books because I like the feel of the paper.”

“The digital archive is impressive, but researchers still need access to the physical documents to verify the original ink and paper quality.”

Synonyms

tangible material concrete

Antonyms

digital virtual abstract

03laws of nature

B2 · Upper Intermediate Science Academic

adj. relating to the laws of nature and the world around us.

adj. relating to the natural world or the laws of physics.

“The physical world is governed by laws like gravity.”

“The physical properties of the new alloy make it ideal for use in high-temperature aerospace environments.”

Synonyms

natural

04medical check-up

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Medicine American English

n. a medical examination by a doctor to check your health.

n. a thorough medical examination to determine a person's state of health.

“The company requires all new employees to have a physical before they start.”

“During his annual physical, the doctor noted a significant improvement in his cardiovascular health compared to the previous year.”

Synonyms

check-upexamination

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “physical” in context.

01. physical activity 02. physical health 03. physical evidence 04. physical processes 05. arise physical 06. concurrent physical 07. conjunction physical 08. phenomenological physical 09. physical appearance 10. physical damage 11. physical abuse 12. physical attributes

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 (phŭ́ō, “grow”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear, become, rise up”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

ADJECTIVE

physical(A2)

ADVERB

physically(B1)