From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishphysicalphys‧i‧cal1 /ˈfɪzɪkəl/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL adjective 1 body not mindBODY related to someone’s body rather than their mind or emotions → mental, emotional She was in constant physical pain. the physical and emotional needs of young adults people with severe physical disabilities Don’t be put off by his physical appearance. He was obsessed with physical fitness.2 sex a physical relationship involves sex rather than just friendship My attraction to him was totally physical. Their physical relationship had never been very good.3 person informalHBHTOUCH someone who is physical likes touching people a lot She’s a very physical person.4 violentVIOLENT involving touching someone in a rough or violent way Football can be a very physical game. I was a bit worried that the argument might become physical.5 real/solidREAL/NOT IMAGINARY relating to real objects that you can touch, see, or feel the physical world around us the physical environment They were kept in appalling physical conditions. 6 naturalREAL/NOT IMAGINARY relating to or following natural laws a physical explanation for this phenomenon7 science [only before noun]HP a physical science is an area of scientific study that is related to physics physical chemistry —physicality /ˌfɪzɪˈkæləti/ noun [uncountable] the physicality of sport → physicallyCOLLOCATIONSnounsphysical activityWe all know about the health benefits of physical activity.physical contactThere shall be no intentional physical contact between teams.physical abuse/violenceHe had suffered physical abuse at the hands of his parents.somebody’s physical appearanceDescribe his physical appearance.physical painShe bravely endured great physical pain.physical strengthThe murder could have been committed only by a man of enormous physical strength.physical fitnessYou need to work on your physical fitness.a physical disability (=condition that makes it difficult for someone to use a part of their body properly)From birth he has suffered from severe physical disabilities.a physical defect (=a physical fault, especially one that only affects the appearance)Most babies are born without physical defects.
Examples from the Corpus
physical• She has suffered terrible physical as well as emotional abuse for over 12 years.• The way in which we clothe our bodies and accentuate our physical attributes can also build power.• The traditional office design creates physical barriers between workers.• physical beauty• a physical confrontation• A lot of British people avoid physical contact with strangers.• There is no physical evidence to connect him to the crime scene.• As a result, a thorough history, complete physical examination and tests are necessary to eliminate other conditions associated with granulomas.• physical fitness• Nearly three quarters of the women surveyed said they were satisfied with their physical fitness.• Man's primary needs are physical -- food, drink and sleep.• Your son appears to be in good physical health.• Physical knowledge is knowledge of the physical properties of objects derived by the manipulation of objects.• In 1984, Retton clearly was untouchable on the floor and vault events, where her powerful physical makeup could be highlighted.• Elsewhere winning the game is as much about having a psychological edge as a physical one.• It was a purely physical relationship.• I'm aggressive - I like physical sports.• To and fro from Sydney to Parramatta he devoted himself to the spiritual and physical welfare of the convicts.• In the physical world, all particles of the same species appear to be identical.physical appearance• I have no interest in the psychological interpretation of my sitters, I want to convey their physical appearance.• The same may be true of a book which has been deliberately produced to a high standard of physical appearance.• However, physical appearance and intellect are insufficient foundation for effective long-lasting relationships.• We are often attracted to another person by their physical appearance and sometimes by their ideas, opinions and goals.• When describing the person in question, a reference to physical appearance is often made showing that physical appearance is very important.• Until the physical appearance of puberty a girl enjoys the privilege of being regarded as an image of the great Goddess.• We all know our genes determine physical appearance, such as eye color and hair texture.physicalphysical2 (also physical examination) noun [countable] BODYa thorough examination of someone’s body by a doctor, in order to discover whether they are healthy or have any illnesses or medical problemsExamples from the Corpus
physical• In some cases, a physical might expose a heart murmur.• These days the examination in my nightmare is a physical.• The game was real physical, but we withstood everything they brought at us.From Longman Business Dictionaryphysicalphys‧i‧cal /ˈfɪzɪkəl/ adjective1real and actualthe physical counting of goods in stock2ACCOUNTING related to assets that can be seen and touched, such as machines and buildingsSYNTANGIBLEThey had a physical plant valued at $3,455,050 and cash reserves of $729,886.3FINANCE involving shares, bonds etc where there are CERTIFICATEs (=documents showing ownership), rather than shares etc where ownership is recorded on a computerIt’s hard to imagine that many investors would prefer having physical certificates when a computer entry seems at least as reliable.4FINANCE involving COMMODITIES (=oil, metals, farm products etc) for actual or immediate delivery, rather than FUTURES (=contracts for delivery at a later date)Traders of agricultural futures contracts usually don’t take physical delivery of the underlying commodity.Origin physical1 (1400-1500) Medieval Latin physicalis, from Latin physica; → PHYSICS 