Meaning & use
physiological
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Meaning
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Connected with how the body and its organs work, including their chemical and physical processes.
Grammar: Usually comes before a noun: a physiological response, not the response was physiological.
Patterns
- a physiological response
- physiological changes in something
Fear triggers physiological changes such as a faster heartbeat.
The study measured the physiological effects of long-distance running.
Hunger and thirst are basic physiological needs.
Common combinations
- physiological response
- Sweating is a physiological response to heat.
- physiological needs
- Food, water, and sleep are physiological needs.
- physiological changes
- Pregnancy brings major physiological changes.
- physiological stress
- The marathon put heavy physiological stress on his body.
- physiological effects
- Researchers studied the physiological effects of altitude.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bodily
- Bodily is everyday and general, while physiological points specifically to how organs and systems function.
- biological
- Biological covers all life science, so it is broader than physiological, which concerns functions inside an organism.
- physical
- Physical contrasts with mental and can describe anything about the body, whereas physiological is more scientific and about processes.
Opposites
Word family
- physiology noun
- the science of how living bodies function
- physiologist noun
- a scientist who studies physiology
- physiologically adverb
- in a way relating to bodily function
Commonly confused: physiological or physiotherapy? physiological or psychological?
physiological vs physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a treatment using exercise and movement, not a description of body processes. Physiological means relating to how the body works.
physiological vs psychological
Psychological relates to the mind, while physiological relates to bodily functions.
Practice
A faster heartbeat during fear is a ____ reaction.
Choose one answer.
A heartbeat is a bodily function, so the reaction is physiological. Psychological would describe the mental feeling of fear itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “physiological”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.