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metaphysics.

The branch of philosophy which studies fundamental principles intended to describe or explain all that is, and which are not themselves explained by anything more fundamental; the study of first principles; the study of being insofar as it is being (Latin: ens in quantum ens).

11 characters4 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

noun/mɛtəˈfɪzɪks/
  1. The branch of philosophy which studies fundamental principles intended to describe or explain all that is, and which are not themselves explained by anything more fundamental; the study of first principles; the study of being insofar as it is being (Latin: ens in quantum ens).

    uncountable
    Philosophers sometimes say that metaphysics is the study of the ultimate nature of the universe.
  2. The view or theory of a particular philosopher or school of thinkers concerning the first principles which describe or explain all that is.

    countable
    The metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas holds that all real beings have both essence and existence.
    In Aristotelian metaphysics physical objects have both form and matter.
  3. The metalogic of physics; the logical framework of physics.

    broadly · uncountable
    Even other universes should be a result of different physics. Without rules, these universes wouldn't exist, because they will have an undefined, thus impossible, nature. We will never understand or guess all possible forms of physics. That's why we have to understand the generic metaphysics.
  4. Any fundamental principles or rules.

    broadly · uncountable
  5. The study of a supersensual realm or of phenomena which transcend the physical world.

    uncountable
    I have a collection of books on metaphysics, covering astral projection, reincarnation, and communication with spirits.
  6. Displeasingly abstruse, complex material on any subject.

    derogatory · uncountable
    This political polemic strikes me as a protracted piece of overwrought, fog-shrouded metaphysics!
Where this word comes from

1560s; plural of metaphysic, from Middle English methaphesik, methaphisik, methaphisique, metaphesyk, methafisik, metaphesyk, methephysyk, from Old French metafisique, methaphisique and Medieval Latin metaphysica, methephisica, from Byzantine Greek μεταφυσικά (metaphusiká), from the title of the collection by Aristotle μετὰ τὰ φυσικά (metà tà phusiká, “Following The Natural World”), a collection that comes after (μετά (metá)) Aristotle's collection entitled τὰ φυσικά (tà phusiká, “The Natural World”), from φυσικός (phusikós, “natural”). By surface analysis, meta- + physics.

noun/mɛtəˈfɪzɪks/
  1. plural of metaphysic

    form-of · plural
Where this word comes from

1560s; plural of metaphysic, from Middle English methaphesik, methaphisik, methaphisique, metaphesyk, methafisik, metaphesyk, methephysyk, from Old French metafisique, methaphisique and Medieval Latin metaphysica, methephisica, from Byzantine Greek μεταφυσικά (metaphusiká), from the title of the collection by Aristotle μετὰ τὰ φυσικά (metà tà phusiká, “Following The Natural World”), a collection that comes after (μετά (metá)) Aristotle's collection entitled τὰ φυσικά (tà phusiká, “The Natural World”), from φυσικός (phusikós, “natural”). By surface analysis, meta- + physics.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.