| 1. | any of the natural sciences dealing with inanimate matter or with energy, as physics, chemistry, and astronomy. |
| 2. | these sciences collectively. |
| physical science n. Any of the sciences, such as physics, chemistry, astronomy, and geology, that analyze the nature and properties of energy and nonliving matter. |
| physical science
Any of several branches of science, such as physics, chemistry, and astronomy, that study the nature and properties of energy and nonliving matter. Compare life science. |
physical science
the systematic study of the inorganic world, as distinct from the study of the organic world, which is the province of biological science. Physical science is ordinarily thought of as consisting of four broad areas: astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the Earth sciences. Each of these is in turn divided into fields and subfields. This article discusses the historical development-with due attention to the scope, principal concerns, and methods-of the first three of these areas. The Earth sciences are discussed in a separate article.
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