metaphysics

met·a·phys·ics  (mt-fzks)

n.

1. (used with a sing. verb) Philosophy The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, fact and value.

2. (used with a pl. verb) The theoretical or first principles of a particular discipline: the metaphysics of law.

3. (used with a sing. verb) A priori speculation upon questions that are unanswerable to scientific observation, analysis, or experiment.

4. (used with a sing. verb) Excessively subtle or recondite reasoning.

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[From pl. of Middle English methaphisik, from Medieval Latin metaphysica, from Medieval Greek (ta) metaphusika, from Greek (Ta) meta (ta) phusika, (the works) after the Physics, the title of Aristotle's treatise on first principles (so called because it followed his work on physics) : meta, after; see meta- + phusika, physics; see physics.]

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metaphysics [ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪks]

n (functioning as singular)

1. (Philosophy) the branch of philosophy that deals with first principles, esp of being and knowing

2. (Philosophy) the philosophical study of the nature of reality, concerned with such questions as the existence of God, the external world, etc.

3. (Philosophy) See descriptive metaphysics

4. (popularly) abstract or subtle discussion or reasoning

[from Medieval Latin, from Greek ta meta ta phusika the things after the physics, from the arrangement of the subjects treated in the works of Aristotle]

metaphysician  [ˌmɛtəfɪˈzɪʃən], metaphysicist [ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪsɪst] n

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metaphysics

a branch of philosophy concerned with being, first principles, and often including aspects of cosmology and epistemology. — metaphysician, n. — metaphysical, adj.

See also: Philosophy

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

metaphysics - the philosophical study of being and knowing hypostasis - (metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality philosophy - the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics ontology - the metaphysical study of the nature of being and existence cosmology - the metaphysical study of the origin and nature of the universe entelechy - (Aristotle) the state of something that is fully realized; actuality as opposed to potentiality

Translations

metaphysics [ˌmetəˈfɪzɪks] NSING → metafísica f

metaphysics [ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪks] n → métaphysique f

metaphysics

n sing → Metaphysik f

metaphysics [ˌmɛtəˈfɪzɪks] nsg → metafisica