as in spiritual
not composed of matter
ghosts are generally thought to be nonphysical in nature
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Recent Examples of nonphysical
In Ayurveda, Prana, the life force carried by the breath, is understood to nourish both the mind and body and can be viewed as a nonphysical substance, finer than oxygen.
—
Trisha Swift, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
In accounting, intangible assets are nonphysical possessions including such things as brands and intellectual property, software, mineral rights ‒ and contracts.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Ansari answers crypto question with call for campaign finance reform
Ansari’s candidacy was boosted by a massive expenditure from advocates of cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
The second is Dualism, where there is a nonphysical or spiritual substance-such as a soul-that interacts with the brain and body.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonphysical
Trisha Swift, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
In accounting, intangible assets are nonphysical possessions including such things as brands and intellectual property, software, mineral rights ‒ and contracts.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Ansari answers crypto question with call for campaign finance reform
Ansari’s candidacy was boosted by a massive expenditure from advocates of cryptocurrency, the digital currencies that exist on nonphysical, decentralized ledger systems.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024
The second is Dualism, where there is a nonphysical or spiritual substance-such as a soul-that interacts with the brain and body.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonphysical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonphysical
Adjective
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There is self-regulation going on in the initial stages of spiritual development, and this is where calming does come into play.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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There’s a spiritual battle going on here.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Under this clash of Venus and Uranus, a blind spot could impact your literal plans or more metaphysical beliefs.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
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Suffice to say that Zi’s condition may not be a physical issue or even a mental one but, rather, a metaphysical state.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
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In fact, magical life has the potential to be even more radically incorporeal than our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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The second feature from Finnish director Bergolm and shot in Lithuania, the chilling supernatural horror follows a couple, Saga (Seida Haarla) and Jon (Grint), who move to an isolated house in the forest.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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He is repped by UTA’s co-head of TV Lit Dan Erlij, the architect behind the big auction last fall over another spec, Joshua Zetumer’s supernatural drama Pagans, which was won by Netflix with a straight-to-series order after some 15-18 studios, platforms and producers bid for it.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This started as a psychic exercise to pass time during the Covid lockdowns of 2020, but the practice has continued to occupy Benning since.—
Alex Bacon,
Artforum,
10 Feb. 2026
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Psyduck, one of the main Pokémon used by Misty in the series, was a water-type who could use powerful psychic moves, but the timing and effectiveness of its abilities was disrupted by its constant headaches.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonphysical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonphysical. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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