Physique
/fɪˈziːk/noun
A person's body build or overall physical appearance.
Did you know?Physique entered English through French from Greek *phusis* (“nature”), the same root behind philosophy’s obsession with the laws of reality—so the word quietly carries the idea of your body as a natural force, not just a shape.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰuH-
“to become, grow”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φύσις (phúsis)
“nature, origin, growth”
Late Latin
Latin
physica
“natural things; natural philosophy”
Old French
Old French
physique
“natural; physical”
Modern English
English
physique
“body build or physical constitution”
Explore more surprising origins