Word
philosophical
Meanings
Relating to philosophy or to the study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and values.
Calmly accepting difficulties in a thoughtful, rational way.
Definition
Relating to the study of fundamental questions about life, knowledge, and reality, or showing calm, thoughtful acceptance.
Philosophical usually describes ideas, discussions, or writing connected to philosophy—the study of big questions about existence, knowledge, values, and meaning. It can also describe a person’s attitude when they stay calm and reflective, especially when facing setbacks. In both uses, it suggests careful thinking rather than quick reactions.
Examples
- During the debate, she took a philosophical approach, questioning the assumptions behind each claim rather than arguing about personalities.
- After the flight was cancelled, he stayed philosophical and used the extra time to read and reorganize his plans.
- Their essay is philosophical in tone, moving from a simple observation to a broader reflection on responsibility and choice.
- I tried to be philosophical about the criticism, treating it as information I could learn from rather than as a personal attack.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use "philosophic" and "philosophical" interchangeably, but "philosophical" is far more common in everyday English.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.