metaphysician
|met-a-phy-si-cian|
/ˌmɛtəfɪˈzɪʃən/
person who studies beyond-physical reality
Etymology
'metaphysician' ultimately derives from Greek elements via Latin and English. It comes from 'metaphysics' + the agent suffix '-ian'. 'Metaphysics' stems from Medieval Latin 'metaphysica', formed from Greek 'meta' meaning 'after' or 'beyond' and 'physika' meaning 'physical things (physics)'.
'Metaphysician' developed in English from the noun 'metaphysics' (from Medieval Latin 'metaphysica', from Greek 'ta meta ta physika', literally 'the things after the Physics' — a title applied to Aristotle's writings) with the addition of the English agent-forming suffix '-ian' to indicate a person concerned with that field.
Originally connected to the phrase for works 'after the Physics' (i.e., Aristotle's treatises placed after his Physics), the root came to denote study of what is 'beyond' or 'after' physical phenomena; 'metaphysician' therefore evolved to mean 'one who studies or practices metaphysics', i.e., investigates the fundamental nature of reality.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a philosopher who specializes in metaphysics — the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, being, and first principles.
The metaphysician argued that questions about existence and causation require analysis beyond empirical science.
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Noun 2
a person given to abstract speculation about ultimate reality or first causes; (often) someone who deals in highly theoretical or speculative ideas.
Critics called him a metaphysician for his habit of turning everyday questions into abstract debates.
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Last updated: 2026/01/02 03:28