[meta.phys.ics] n pl but sing in constr [ML Metaphysica, title of Aristotle's treatise on the subject, fr. Gk (ta) meta (ta) physika, lit., the (works) after the physical (works); fr. its position in his coll ected works] (1569) 1 a (1): a division of philosophy that is concerned with the fundamental nature of reality and being and that includes ontology, cosmology, and often epistemology (2): ontology
2. b: abstract philosophical studies: a study of what is outside objective experience
2: metaphysic
2.