What does physique mean?
Physique means the physical build, form, or appearance of a person's body. Unlike the broad word “body,” it often suggests an overall impression of strength, fitness, proportion, or beauty, especially in descriptions of athletes, models, artworks, and historical figures. The term can be approving, as when someone has a “strong physique,” or more neutral when simply recording a person’s characteristic build. It is not usually used for a person's face or for the body as a biological subject, and it is more common in formal descriptive writing than in casual conversation. The word is especially associated with a balanced, harmonious physical structure. It is a useful term when the emphasis is not on particular body parts or medical condition, but on the shape and overall proportions that a person presents.
nounThe form and structure of a person's body, especially the proportions and physical build characteristic of an individual. It can also refer more generally to someone's bodily appearance.
- The bodily form, build, or physical appearance of a person, especially when regarded as an aesthetic or athletic quality.
"The athlete maintained an impressive physique through disciplined training and a carefully planned diet."
"Her upright posture and athletic training gave her a strikingly strong physique."
"The painting idealized the figures' graceful physiques rather than depicting individualized physical features."
The plural is used when referring to the bodies or builds of multiple people, especially in artistic, athletic, or comparative contexts.
"The photographs contrasted the dancers' strong, graceful physiques."
Physique comes from the Greek word for “nature,” reflecting the idea that a body's distinctive form reveals the physical nature of the person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does physique come from?
Physique entered English from French physique, originally a word meaning “nature” or “physical constitution.” French had borrowed the term from the Greek physis, meaning “nature” or “growth.” In English, the word gradually came to focus specifically on bodily form and build, while related words such as physics, physical, and physiology preserve the same Greek root.
How physique is actually used
Physique is usually formal or descriptive. It is common in artistic, athletic, and fashion contexts, where it refers to the overall shape and build of the body rather than to individual anatomical features.
Easily confused with physique
Body is the broadest term for a person's physical structure, while physique usually emphasizes the overall build or appearance of that structure.
A physique describes a person's bodily build, whereas physics is the natural science concerned with matter, energy, motion, and forces.