Standard Lemma guide

physically

adv · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F IH1 Z IH0 K AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: F IH1 Z IH0 K L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a physical manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

According to the laws of physics.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Using physical force.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Directly, rather than automatically or similar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • After the software updated, I had to go in and physically change all the settings back to the way I wanted them.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

According to the rules of medicine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

in accord with physical laws

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it is physically impossible

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From physic + -ally or physical + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ֆիզիկապես (fizikapes) — in a physical manner
  • Armenian: ֆիզիկորեն (fizikoren) — in a physical manner
  • Catalan: físicament — in a physical manner
  • Dutch: lichamelijk — in a physical manner
  • Esperanto: fizike — in a physical manner
  • Estonian: füüsiliselt — in a physical manner
  • Finnish: fyysisesti — in a physical manner
  • French: physiquement — in a physical manner
  • Galician: fisicamente — in a physical manner
  • German: physisch — in a physical manner
  • Hungarian: fizikailag — in a physical manner
  • Interlingua: physicamente — in a physical manner
  • Latvian: fiziski — in a physical manner
  • Occitan: fisicament — in a physical manner
  • Old English: līchamlīċe — in a physical manner
  • Polish: fizycznie — in a physical manner
  • Portuguese: fisicamente — in a physical manner
  • Russian: физи́чески (fizíčeski) — in a physical manner
  • Spanish: físicamente — in a physical manner
  • Swedish: fysiskt — in a physical manner
  • Armenian: ֆիզիկորեն (fizikoren) — according to the laws of physics.
  • Catalan: físicament — according to the laws of physics.
  • Estonian: füüsikaliselt — according to the laws of physics.
  • Finnish: fysiikan lakien mukaan — according to the laws of physics.
  • Finnish: fysikaalisesti — according to the laws of physics.
  • Galician: fisicamente — according to the laws of physics.
  • German: physikalisch — according to the laws of physics.
  • Polish: fizycznie — according to the laws of physics.
  • Russian: физи́чески (fizíčeski) — according to the laws of physics.
  • Catalan: físicament — using physical force.
  • Estonian: füüsiliselt — using physical force.
  • Finnish: fyysisesti — using physical force.
  • Galician: fisicamente — using physical force.
  • Polish: fizycznie — using physical force.
  • Russian: физи́чески (fizíčeski) — using physical force.
Real reading context

physically in complete knowledge articles