philosophical

adjective

phil·​o·​soph·​i·​cal ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-kəl How to pronounce philosophical (audio)
 also  -ˈzä-
variants or less commonly philosophic
ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fik How to pronounce philosophical (audio)
 also  -ˈzä-
1
a
: of or relating to philosophers or philosophy
b
: based on philosophy
2
: characterized by the attitude of a philosopher
specifically : calm or unflinching in the face of trouble, defeat, or loss
philosophically adverb

Examples of philosophical in a Sentence

They got into a philosophical debate about what it means for something to be “natural.” He's trying to be philosophical about their decision since he knows he can't change it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And there are people with theological and philosophical bents who use the BGV theorem to bolster their preferred arguments over how the Universe ultimately began, with dubious and debatable results. Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025 That applies to emotional and philosophical growth, too. Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025 And in each individual voice there are echoes of other voices, contemporary or past, written or oral, political or philosophical, from the Bible or from newspaper articles, rumors about town, memories of someone long dead. Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025 What begins as an act of solitude unfolds into an unexpected encounter with both people and places gradually evolving into a quiet yet intense philosophical exchange that unearths themes of displacement, trauma and renewal. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for philosophical

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of philosophical was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Philosophical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophical. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

philosophical

adjective
philo·​soph·​i·​cal
ˌfil-ə-ˈsäf-i-kəl
variants also philosophic
-ik
1
: of, relating to, or based on philosophy
2
: characterized by the attitude of a philosopher
especially : calm and patient when faced with trouble
philosophically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on philosophical

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