the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of existence, truth and knowledge 形而上学;玄学 Word Originmid 16th cent.: representing medieval Latin metaphysica (neuter plural), based on Greek ta meta ta phusika ‘the things after the Physics’, referring to the sequence of Aristotle's works: the title came to denote the branch of study treated in the books, later interpreted as meaning ‘the science of things transcending what is physical or natural’.