Word
physiological
Phoneticsphys·i·o·log·i·cal
US/ˌfɪziəˈɫɑdʒɪkəɫ/
UK/fˌɪzɪəlˈɒdʒɪkəl/
Definitions
01body functions
adj. relating to the way a living body or its parts work.
adj. pertaining to the normal biological functions of living organisms and their organs.
“The body has a physiological response to fear, such as a faster heartbeat.”
“The researchers monitored the physiological changes in the athletes as they adapted to the high-altitude environment over several weeks.”
Academic · Technical
Usage
Often used to contrast physical bodily processes with mental or psychological ones.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'physical'; explain that 'physiological' specifically refers to internal biological systems and functions rather than just the outer body.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02drug effects
adj. relating to the normal effect a substance has on a healthy body.
adj. relating to the effects of a drug or substance on a healthy organism, as opposed to its curative or therapeutic effects on a diseased one.
“The study looked at the physiological effects of caffeine on healthy adults.”
“Distinguishing between the physiological impact of the compound on healthy tissue and its therapeutic efficacy against the virus was the primary goal of the first phase.”
Technical · Formal
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Researchers monitored multiple physiological indicators of circadian alignment, including activity, heart rate and core body temperature.” “Regan Dunn Our study shows that carbon dioxide emissions have pushed forests beyond their physiological limits before , triggering changes that ripple from vegetation to rivers and across entire landscapes.” “There are different thresholds you can use to define extreme heat in these analyses, either based on past statistics or on the human body’s physiological limits.” “Recent studies suggest people around the world demonstrate measurably stronger physiological responses to negative news than to positive news.” Etymology
Either from physio- + -logical (equivalent to physiology + -ical) or Latin physiologicus + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.