Definition of METAPHYSICS (original) (raw)
1
a(1)
: a division of philosophy that is concerned with the fundamental nature of reality and being and that includes ontology, cosmology, and often epistemology
metaphysics … analyzes the generic traits manifested by existences of any kind—
J. H. Randall
b
: abstract philosophical studies : a study of what is outside objective experience
steered philosophy away from metaphysics and toward the disciplines of natural science and linguistics—Time
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Just as physics deals with the laws that govern the physical world (such as those of gravity or the properties of waves), metaphysics describes what is beyond physics—the nature and origin of reality itself, the immortal soul, and the existence of a supreme being. Opinions about these metaphysical topics vary widely, since what's being discussed can't be observed or measured or even truly known to exist. So most metaphysical questions are still as far from a final answer as they were when Plato and Aristotle were asking them.
Examples of metaphysics in a Sentence
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From a corollary that the evil white people inflicted on Black people continued when slavery ended, Fard posited a metaphysics and a battle plan that began with the theory that the first humans were Black, their innocence earning them the gift of life. —Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Dec. 2024 Unlike the letters inked on a typewriter’s paper substrate, the text displayed on word processors obeys a different metaphysics, thus conferring a much higher degree of freedom. —Sheon Han, WIRED, 9 May 2023 Psychedelic Experience - Revealing The Mind By Aidan Lyon Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, a philosopher of mind and metaphysics at the University of Exeter, in the U.K., agrees with Osmond that a trip should be defined by phenomenology, not pharmacology. —Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2024 That felt somehow thematically appropriate in terms of what the deep metaphysics of the magic in this world are. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for metaphysics 
Word History
Etymology
Medieval Latin Metaphysica, title of Aristotle's treatise on the subject, from Greek (ta) meta (ta) physika, literally, the (works) after the physical (works); from its position in his collected works
First Known Use
1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Time Traveler
The first known use of metaphysics was in 1569
Dictionary Entries Near metaphysics
Cite this Entry
“Metaphysics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphysics. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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Last Updated: 12 Dec 2024 - Updated example sentences
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