adverb
- In a manner relating to or involving hypostasis; according to the doctrine that distinguishes the three persons of the Trinity while maintaining one divine substance.
- In a manner that treats an abstract concept as a concrete or independent entity; by personification or reification.
Usage: theology; formal; rare
Usage: philosophy; formal; rare
Examples
- The theologian argued hypostatically that the three persons of the Trinity are distinct yet unified in one substance.
- Medieval philosophers discussed hypostatically how abstract ideas might exist as independent entities.
- The doctrine was explained hypostatically to emphasize the coexistence of divine unity and trinity.
- Critics claimed the argument treated justice hypostatically, as if it were a living force rather than a concept.