philosophical
adjective
phil·o·soph·i·cal
| \ ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-kəl also -ˈzä-
\
\
variants:
or less commonly philosophic \ ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fik also -ˈzä-
\
\
Definition of philosophical
1a
: 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
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from philosophical
philosophically
\ ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-k(ə-)lē
also -ˈzä- \
adverb
also -ˈzä- \
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
The original film, with a complex, thoughtful and philosophical tone baked in as much as action and a fantastical backdrop, was a bit ahead of its time in terms of the simpler, good-versus-evil fare that characterized fantasy fare three decades ago. — Scott Huver, CNN, "'Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance' rebuilds one of Jim Henson's richest fantasy worlds," 29 Aug. 2019 But then Ad Astra dropped a steady stream of visually stunning trailers that teased its potential to be a thrilling action tale, with doses of intimate and philosophical musings. — Rachel Yang, EW.com, "First Ad Astra reviews say Brad Pitt shines in thoughtful, slightly familiar movie," 29 Aug. 2019 Maineness points to a deep and worthy philosophical approach to life. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "Memories of Maine," 22 Aug. 2019 Maine eliminated religious and philosophical exemptions, while New York lawmakers ended a religious exemption. — NBC News, "Vaccine-exemption restrictions backed by California Assembly committee at raucous hearing," 22 June 2019 No matter how philosophical or emotional the arguments may be, all good bench racing comes down to the numbers. — Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, "2020 Toyota Supra and Chevrolet Camaro V-6 1LE by the Numbers: A Tale of Two Sixes and an $18K Price Difference," 16 May 2019 Rams inclined increasingly to a more philosophical approach. — Julie V. Iovine, WSJ, "‘Dieter Rams: Principled Design’ Review: Improving, Not Replacing," 20 Nov. 2018 Pamela Tatge, the director of Jacob’s Pillow, praised Ms. Driscoll’s philosophical approach to choreography. — Joshua Barone, New York Times, "Jacob’s Pillow to Honor Faye Driscoll With Dance Prize," 28 Mar. 2018 Thrive in a setting of civilized discussion with this engaging form of philosophical discourse. Occurs on the second Wednesday of the month. — Alan Goch, sun-sentinel.com, "Events for Broward and Miami-Dade counties for July 31-Aug. 6," 31 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'philosophical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for philosophical
philosophical
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of philosophical
: of, relating to, or based on philosophy
: having a calm attitude toward a difficult or unpleasant situation
See the full definition for philosophical in the English Language Learners Dictionary
philosophical
adjective
phil·o·soph·i·cal
| \ ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-kəl
\
\
variants:
also philosophic \ -ˈsä-fik \
Kids Definition of philosophical
1
: of or relating to the study of basic ideas about knowledge, right and wrong, reasoning, and the value of things
2
: showing wisdom and calm when faced with misfortune