Physically means relating to the body or the material world we can touch and see. When your teacher asks if you're physically capable of carrying a stack of books, she's asking whether your body is strong enough to lift them. When a doctor examines you physically, she checks your actual body: your height, weight, heart rate, and reflexes.

The word helps us distinguish between what happens in our bodies versus what happens in our minds or emotions. You might feel physically tired after running laps, even though you're mentally excited about the game. A puzzle might not be physically difficult (you're just sitting there moving pieces), but it's mentally challenging.

Physically also describes things that exist in the real, material world. A physical book is one you can hold, unlike a digital book on a screen. When scientists say something is physically impossible, they mean the laws of nature prevent it from happening, like traveling faster than light.

The related word physical works as an adjective: physical strength, physical contact, or a physical object.