metaphysically
Meaning
in a way that relates to metaphysics, the branch of philosophy concerned with the fundamental nature of reality and existence.
in a highly abstract, theoretical, or non-physical way.
Structure
Usage
the philosopher argued metaphysically about the nature of consciousness and its separation from the body.
her approach to the problem was more metaphysically oriented than practical.
the concept is difficult to understand because it deals with reality metaphysically rather than scientifically.
Etymology
the word 'metaphysically' is built upon the foundation of 'metaphysics', a term coined from the greek phrase 'ta meta ta physika', meaning "the [works] after the physics". this title was given by later editors to a collection of aristotle's treatises that followed his works on physics, dealing with questions beyond the physical world, such as being, substance, and causality. the core element 'meta' evolved from its literal greek meaning of "after" to signify "beyond" or "transcending", while 'physical' derives from 'physis' (nature). thus, the compound originally meant "beyond the physical/natural". the suffix '-ly' is a germanic adverbial marker. the modern sense, describing something abstract, theoretical, or pertaining to the fundamental nature of reality, directly flows from this historical progression where the study of what lies beyond observable nature became a domain of philosophy.
Analysis
meta: from greek, meaning "after, beyond, or transcending". in this context, it denotes a higher level of abstraction. physical: from greek, relating to nature or the material world (physis). here, it refers to the study of nature. ly: from old english, an adverbial suffix meaning "in a manner of".