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metaphysics

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The definition of metaphysics is a field of philosophy that is generally focused on how reality and the universe began.

(noun)

An example of metaphysics is a study of God versus the Big Bang theory.

See metaphysics in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

the branch of philosophy that deals with first principles and seeks to explain the nature of being or reality (ontology) and of the origin and structure of the universe (cosmology): it is closely associated with the study of the nature of knowledge (epistemology)
speculative philosophy in general
esoteric, often mystical or theosophical, lore
the theory or principles (of some branch of knowledge)
popularly any very subtle or difficult reasoning

Origin: < ML metaphysica, neut. pl. < Gr (ta) meta (ta) physika, lit., (that) after (the) physics (in reference to location after the Physics in early collections of Aristotle's works)

See metaphysics in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

(used with a sing. verb) Philosophy The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, fact and value.
(used with a pl. verb) The theoretical or first principles of a particular discipline: the metaphysics of law.
(used with a sing. verb) A priori speculation upon questions that are unanswerable to scientific observation, analysis, or experiment.
(used with a sing. verb) Excessively subtle or recondite reasoning.

Origin:

Origin: From pl. of Middle English methaphisik

Origin: , from Medieval Latin metaphysica

Origin: , from Medieval Greek (ta) metaphusika

Origin: , from Greek (Ta) meta (ta) phusika, (the works) after the Physics, the title of Aristotle's treatise on first principles (so called because it followed his work on physics)

Origin: : meta, after; see meta-

Origin: + phusika, physics; see physics

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