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-

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

ˌfi-lə-ˈsä-fi-k(ə-)lē 

 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

From a tense two-hander and a teen heist movie to a NSFW alien tale and a philosophical road trip from Hell, these titles played well on the big screen and deserve releases to serve the masses. —William Earl, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025

Books of advice come in many forms: financial, spiritual, physical, philosophical. —Dwight Garner, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

But in recent years, those philosophical starting points have flipped, said Ben Ansell, professor of comparative democratic institutions at the University of Oxford. —Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025

The Overview Effect is a term philosopher Frank White used to describe the visual, emotional and philosophical response to the view of planet Earth from space. —Tom Teicholz, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing philosophical

• philosophical analysis

Rhymes for philosophical

• theosophical
• unphilosophical

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