physiological
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to physiology
-
of or relating to normal healthful functioning; not pathological
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of physiological
First recorded in 1600–10; physiolog(y) + -ical
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How does physiological compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Anything physiological has to do with the body and its systems. You might notice that your physiological response to a scary movie includes your heart beating faster and your hands getting sweaty. You know that the root word of physiological is phys, which refers to the body (think of those phys. ed. classes you panted through). That root comes from the Greek word for nature. Add the suffix ology, which means "the study of" (see where we're going?), and finally, tack on that little ical. Ta-taa! You have turned the root into an adjective to describe the way your body works. Let's get physiological!
Vocabulary lists containing physiological
"Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry" by Rudolfo Anaya
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Silent Spring
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The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prof Andy Jones, in endurance performance at the University of Exeter, said there were three potential physiological explanations as to why women could perform better over long distances or durations.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Biological age, by contrast, reflects how old the body appears based on measurable changes in cells, organs, metabolism, and other physiological systems.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
For Professor Andy Jones, an expert in endurance performance at the University of Exeter, there are three potential physiological explanations why women could perform better over longer distances or durations.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
"We want to maintain women in female physiological range for testosterone. We don't want them to have sky-high levels," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
What we are talking about is a kind of super-reflex, a fundamental physiological ability of which we are barely aware.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
