| Library / English Dictionary |
PHYSICAL
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Having substance or material existence; perceptible to the senses
Example:
surrounded by tangible objects
Classified under:
Similar:
material (derived from or composed of matter)
Derivation:
physicalness (the quality of being physical; consisting of matter)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Concerned with material things
Example:
the physical size of a computer
Classified under:
Similar:
material (derived from or composed of matter)
Derivation:
physicalness (the quality of being physical; consisting of matter)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Impelled by physical force especially against resistance
Example:
strong-arm tactics
Synonyms:
forcible; physical; strong-arm
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
forceful (characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical))
Sense 4
Meaning:
Characterized by energetic bodily activity
Example:
a very physical dance performance
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
energetic (possessing or exerting or displaying energy)
Sense 5
Meaning:
According with material things or natural laws (other than those peculiar to living matter)
Example:
a reflex response to physical stimuli
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
natural (existing in or in conformity with nature or the observable world; neither supernatural nor magical)
Sense 6
Meaning:
Involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit
Example:
was sloppy about everything but her physical appearance
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
animal; carnal; fleshly; sensual (marked by the appetites and passions of the body)
bodily; corporal; corporeal; somatic (affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit)
material (concerned with or affecting physical as distinct from intellectual or psychological well-being)
personal (intimately concerning a person's body or physical being)
physiologic; physiological (of or consistent with an organism's normal functioning)
somatogenetic; somatogenic (of or arising from physiological causes rather than being psychogenic in origin)
Antonym:
mental (involving the mind or an intellectual process)
Derivation:
physicality (preoccupation with satisfaction of physical drives and appetites)
physicalness (the quality of being physical; consisting of matter)
Sense 7
Meaning:
Relating to the sciences dealing with matter and energy; especially physics
Example:
physical laws
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
Pertainym:
physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)
Derivation:
physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)
Context examples:
It can include emotional and physical symptoms.
(Menstruation, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Unstable angina is the most dangerous. It does not follow a pattern and can happen without physical exertion.
(Angina, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
A characteristic that refers to the physical and organoleptic state of a microbiology specimen.
(Microbiology Specimen Condition, NCI Thesaurus)
A specific manner, characteristic, pattern of application or the employment of, any therapeutic agent or method of treatment, especially involving the physical treatment of a condition.
(Modality, NCI Thesaurus)
The smallest particle of a substance that has all of the physical and chemical properties of that substance.
(Molecule, NCI Dictionary)
Your doctor will diagnose anemia with a physical exam and blood tests.
(Anemia, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
This may cause virilization (the appearance of male physical characteristics in females).
(Androblastoma, NCI Dictionary)
This is most often done by inserting thin needles through the skin, to cause a change in the physical functions of the body.
(Acupuncture, NIH: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Researchers are then able to guide these “blank slate” cells into different cell types by using various chemical and physical stimuli.
(Early stimulation improves performance of bioengineered human heart cells, National Institutes of Health)
The textual representation of the physical location of the subject when the adverse event began.
(Adverse Event Location Description, NCI Thesaurus)
