Physical \Phys"ic*al\ (f[i^]z"[i^]*kal), a.
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.
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Labor, in the physical world, is . . . employed in
putting objects in motion. --J. S. Mill.
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A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere
physical force. --Macaulay.
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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." --Pope.
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3. Perceptible through a bodily or material organization;
cognizable by the senses; external; as, the physical,
opposed to chemical, characters of a mineral.
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4. Of or pertaining to physic, or the art of medicine;
medicinal; curative; healing; also, cathartic; purgative.
[Obs.] "Physical herbs." --Sir T. North.
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Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
To walk unbraced, and suck up the humors
Of the dank morning? --Shak.
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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.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
physical
adj 1: involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit;
"physical exercise"; "physical suffering"; "was sloppy
about everything but her physical appearance" [ant: mental]
2: relating to the sciences dealing with matter and energy;
especially physics; "physical sciences"; "physical laws"
3: having substance or material existence; perceptible to the
senses; "a physical manifestation"; "surrounded by
tangible objects" [syn: tangible, touchable]
4: according with material things or natural laws (other than
those peculiar to living matter); "a reflex response to
physical stimuli"
5: characterized by energetic bodily activity; "tennis is an
active sport"; "a very physical dance performance" [syn: active]
6: concerned with material things; "physical properties"; "the
physical characteristics of the earth"; "the physical size
of a computer"
7: impelled by physical force especially against resistance;
"forcible entry"; "a real cop would get physical";
"strong-arm tactics" [syn: forcible, strong-arm]
WordNet (r) 2.0
84 Moby Thesaurus words for "physical":
Adamic, Circean, actual, aerophysical, animal, animalistic,
astrophysical, atavistic, beastlike, beastly, bestial, bodily,
born, brutal, brute, brutish, carnal, carnal-minded, check,
checkup, coarse, coeval, concrete, congenital, connatal, connate,
connatural, constitutional, corporal, corporeal, earthly, earthy,
elemental, elementary, fallen, fleshly, genetic, gross, hereditary,
hylic, in the blood, inborn, inbred, incarnate, indigenous,
inherited, innate, instinctive, instinctual, lapsed, lusty,
manifest, material, materialistic, materiate, mortal, native,
native to, natural, natural to, nonspiritual, objective, organic,
orgiastic, palpable, phenomenal, physical examination,
postlapsarian, primal, real, secular, sensible, solid, somatic,
spot check, substantial, swinish, tangible, temperamental,
temporal, true, unspiritual, visceral, worldly
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
physical
The opposite of logical in its jargon sense.
Compare real, virtual, and transparent.
It is said that what you can touch and see is real; what you
can see but not touch is virtual; what you can touch but not
see is transparent; and what you can neither touch nor see is
probably imaginary.
(2001-10-26)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)
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