natural philosophy

1 of 2

noun (1)

: natural science
especially : physical science
natural philosopher noun

natural philosopher

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one that studies or is skilled in natural philosophy

Examples of natural philosophy in a Sentence

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Noun
The warrior ethos of The Iliad is out-of-date in our age of human rights, as is the natural philosophy of Aristotle. — Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025 Amid the calamities of the Civil War, motion had emerged as the concept that linked natural philosophy to political theory. — Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 For three years, Cristina immersed herself in the study of natural philosophy, Aristotelian physics and Cartesian geometry. — Manuela Callari, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025 Remember that a disproportionate contribution by the Arabs was in the domain of natural philosophy, the precursor to science. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 30 Aug. 2010 During that time, a lot of clergymen were engaged in natural philosophy, collecting minerals, fossils, and shells, and categorizing and comparing. — Chava Pearl Lansky, JSTOR Daily, 30 July 2025 Thomson was a mathematician, physicist, engineer, and professor of natural philosophy. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2024 Although Newton himself was a recluse, a circle of zealous Newtonian men of science, described by historians as devoted disciples and even evangelists for Newton’s natural philosophy, took his new theories on the road. — Beth Dufault, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025 Jefferson rooted the Declaration in natural philosophy, or the philosophical study of nature and the physical universe without consideration of supernatural causes. — Time, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of natural philosophy was in the 14th century

Rhymes for natural philosophy

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Cite this Entry

“Natural philosophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20philosophy. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on natural philosophy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about natural philosophy

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