Scientists deal mainly with physical matters.
Source: tatoeba (23973)
Physical
/ˈfɪz.ɪ.kl̩/
Synonyms for "physical" (246 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (50)
Strong matches (73)
Adjective(22 words)
concrete instanceconcrete math activitiesconcrete objectconcrete processconcrete termscorporalcorporeal formcorporeal presencecorporeal realitycreaturelyearthly lifeenergeticexaminationfleshliestforcibleform-relatedgeophysical processhands-on demonstrationkinesthetic motion observationmaterial
Show 2 more words
material attributematerial breach
Noun(18 words)
concrete math toolsconcrete modelconcrete thingconstitutional reformsconstitutionalscontactearthly materialsforcinggerman organischhard copyhuman bodylaboratory materialitymanual processmaterial aspectmaterial characteristicmaterial characteristicsmaterial culture itemmaterial descriptor
Related words (123)
Noun(31 words)
material descriptorsmaterial entitymaterial facetmaterial factmaterial goodsmaterial objectmaterial occurrencematerial ofmaterial phasematerial resourcesmaterial statematerial worldmatérielmechanical processmedicalsmore earthlymost bodilymost corporealmost physicalmost physiological
Adjective(53 words)
material evidencematerial formmaterial markermaterial marker penmaterial productmaterial samplematerial thingmechanicalmechanical actionsmechanical energiesmechanical forcemechanical outcomenaturalnonchemical activitynonchemical changenonchemical processnondigital mediaobjective modifieroffline groupsoffline market
Show 33 more words
offline visibilityphysical examphysical factorphysical influencerphysical interactionphysical interactionsphysical proofphysical property valuephysical sciencephysical substancephysical weathering mechanismsphysiological dataphysiological factorphysiological measurephysiological mechanismphysiological responseposturalreal sitescientificsomatic traitstrong-armstructural approachtangibletangible benefitstangible featurestangible itemtangible materialtangible math toolstangible objecttangible prooftangible propertiestangible resultstouchable object
materialisticmateriatemortalnativenative tonaturalnatural tononspiritualobjectiveorganicorgiasticoutwardpalpablepatentpersonalphenomenalphysical examinationpostlapsarianprimalreal
Determiner(2 words)
most mechanical energy transfermost physical science
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abiotic community, abiotic material, active, actual, adamic.
- Sentence evidence is available for physical, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, opengloss, moby, wordnet, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "physical".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "physical"
Keep "physical" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "physical" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "physical", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "physical" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
10 entriesCollocations
11 entriesannual physicalmedical examphysical activityphysical educationphysical examphysical healthphysical propertyphysical sciencepreparticipation physicalroutine physicalsports physical
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Translations
54 translations across 38 languages.
Arabic
3 entries- مَادِّيّ adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- مَحْسُوس adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- مَلْمُوس adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Armenian
2 entries- նյութական adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- ֆիզիկական adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Bulgarian
1 entries- материа́лен adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Catalan
1 entries- físic adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 物理的 adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Dutch
2 entries- fysisch adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- fysische adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Esperanto
1 entries- fizika adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Estonian
2 entries- füüsiline adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- looduslik adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Finnish
1 entries- fyysinen adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
French
1 entries- physique adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Galician
1 entries- físico adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Georgian
3 entries- მატერიალური adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- სხეულებრივი adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- ფიზიკური adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
German
3 entries- materiell adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- physisch adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- stofflich adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Greek
1 entries- φυσικός adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Hebrew
2 entries- ממשי adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- פיזי adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Hungarian
1 entries- fizikai adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Indonesian
1 entries- fisik adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Interlingua
1 entries- physic adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Irish
1 entries- ábhartha adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Italian
1 entries- fisico adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Kazakh
1 entries- физикалық adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Korean
1 entries- 물리적(物理的)인 adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Latvian
2 entries- fizikāls adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- fizisks adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Marathi
1 entries- भौतिक adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Māori
2 entries- whaikiko adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- ōkiko adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Norwegian
1 entries- fysisk adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Occitan
1 entries- fisic adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Old English
1 entries- līchamlīċ adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Polish
1 entries- fizyczny adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Portuguese
1 entries- físico adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Romanian
3 entries- fizic adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- fizică adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- material adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Russian
2 entries- материа́льный adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- физи́ческий adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Spanish
1 entries- físico adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Swedish
1 entries- fysisk adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Telugu
1 entries- భౌతికము adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Turkish
2 entries- fiziki adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
- fiziksel adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Ukrainian
1 entries- фізи́чний adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Walloon
1 entries- fizike adj (having to do with the material world; tangible)
Sample sentences
26 total sentences available.
The emigrants have endured physical and mental pain.
Source: tatoeba (28165)
Jim was afraid of physical labor.
Source: tatoeba (53243)
There is not a physical explanation for this phenomenon yet.
Source: tatoeba (59397)
Showing 4 of 26 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "physical"?
Closest matches include abiotic community, abiotic material, active, actual, adamic.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "physical"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.