Physical \Phys"ic*al\ (f[i^]z"[i^]*kal), a.
   1. Of or pertaining to nature (as including all created
      existences); in accordance with the laws of nature; also,
      of or relating to natural or material things, or to the
      bodily structure, as opposed to things mental, moral,
      spiritual, or imaginary; material; natural; as, armies and
      navies are the physical force of a nation; the body is the
      physical part of man.
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            Labor, in the physical world, is . . . employed in
            putting objects in motion.            --J. S. Mill.
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            A society sunk in ignorance, and ruled by mere
            physical force.                       --Macaulay.
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   2. Of or pertaining to physics, or natural philosophy;
      treating of, or relating to, the causes and connections of
      natural phenomena; as, physical science; physical laws.
      "Physical philosophy." --Pope.
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   3. Perceptible through a bodily or material organization;
      cognizable by the senses; external; as, the physical,
      opposed to chemical, characters of a mineral.
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   4. Of or pertaining to physic, or the art of medicine;
      medicinal; curative; healing; also, cathartic; purgative.
      [Obs.] "Physical herbs." --Sir T. North.
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            Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
            To walk unbraced, and suck up the humors
            Of the dank morning?                  --Shak.
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   Physical astronomy, that part of astronomy which treats of
      the causes of the celestial motions; specifically, that
      which treats of the motions resulting from universal
      gravitation.

   Physical education, training of the bodily organs and
      powers with a view to the promotion of health and vigor.
      

   Physical examination (Med.), an examination of the bodily
      condition of a person.

   Physical geography. See under Geography.

   Physical point, an indefinitely small portion of matter; a
      point conceived as being without extension, yet having
      physical properties, as weight, inertia, momentum, etc.; a
      material point.

   Physical signs (Med.), the objective signs of the bodily
      state afforded by a physical examination.
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	physical
    adj 1: involving the body as distinguished from the mind or
           spirit; "physical exercise"; "physical suffering"; "was
           sloppy about everything but her physical appearance"
           [ant: mental]
    2: relating to the sciences dealing with matter and energy;
       especially physics; "physical sciences"; "physical laws"
    3: having substance or material existence; perceptible to the
       senses; "a physical manifestation"; "surrounded by tangible
       objects"
    4: according with material things or natural laws (other than
       those peculiar to living matter); "a reflex response to
       physical stimuli"
    5: characterized by energetic bodily activity; "a very physical
       dance performance"
    6: impelled by physical force especially against resistance;
       "forcible entry"; "a real cop would get physical"; "strong-
       arm tactics" [syn: forcible, physical, strong-arm]
    7: concerned with material things; "physical properties"; "the
       physical characteristics of the earth"; "the physical size of
       a computer"

	

	84 Moby Thesaurus words for "physical":
   Adamic, Circean, actual, aerophysical, animal, animalistic,
   astrophysical, atavistic, beastlike, beastly, bestial, bodily,
   born, brutal, brute, brutish, carnal, carnal-minded, check,
   checkup, coarse, coeval, concrete, congenital, connatal, connate,
   connatural, constitutional, corporal, corporeal, earthly, earthy,
   elemental, elementary, fallen, fleshly, genetic, gross, hereditary,
   hylic, in the blood, inborn, inbred, incarnate, indigenous,
   inherited, innate, instinctive, instinctual, lapsed, lusty,
   manifest, material, materialistic, materiate, mortal, native,
   native to, natural, natural to, nonspiritual, objective, organic,
   orgiastic, palpable, phenomenal, physical examination,
   postlapsarian, primal, real, secular, sensible, solid, somatic,
   spot check, substantial, swinish, tangible, temperamental,
   temporal, true, unspiritual, visceral, worldly

	

	physical

    The opposite of logical in its jargon sense.
   Compare real, virtual, and transparent.

   It is said that what you can touch and see is real; what you
   can see but not touch is virtual; what you can touch but not
   see is transparent; and what you can neither touch nor see is
   probably imaginary.

   (2001-10-26)