spiritual

American  

[spir-i-choo-uhl] / ˈspɪr ɪ tʃu əl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal.

2. of or relating to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature.

   a spiritual approach to life.

3. closely akin in interests, attitude, outlook, etc..

   the professor's spiritual heir in linguistics.

4. of or relating to spirits or to spiritualists; supernatural or spiritualistic.

5. characterized by or suggesting predominance of the spirit; ethereal or delicately refined.

   She is more of a spiritual type than her rowdy brother.

6. of or relating to the spirit as the seat of the moral or religious nature.

7. of or relating to sacred things or matters; religious; devotional; sacred.

8. of or belonging to the church; ecclesiastical.

   lords spiritual and temporal.

9. of or relating to the mind or intellect.

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noun

1. a spiritual or religious song, especially one composed by and for Black Americans during the period of legalized slavery in the United States.

   Spirituals like “Go Down, Moses” were sometimes used as signals on the Underground Railroad.

2. spirituals, affairs of the church.

3. a spiritual thing or matter.

spiritual British  

/ ˈspɪrɪtjʊəl /

adjective

1. relating to the spirit or soul and not to physical nature or matter; intangible

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of sacred things, the Church, religion, etc

3. standing in a relationship based on communication between the souls or minds of the persons involved

   a spiritual father

4. having a mind or emotions of a high and delicately refined quality

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noun

1. See Negro spiritual

2. (often plural) the sphere of religious, spiritual, or ecclesiastical matters, or such matters in themselves

3. the realm of spirits

Other Word Forms

• antispiritual adjective
• antispiritually adverb
• nonspiritual adjective
• nonspiritually adverb
• nonspiritualness noun
• pseudospiritual adjective
• pseudospiritually adverb
• quasi-spiritual adjective
• quasi-spiritually adverb
• spiritually adverb
• spiritualness noun
• superspiritual adjective
• superspiritually adverb
• unspiritual adjective
• unspiritually adverb

Etymology

Origin of spiritual

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Medieval Latin spīrituālis, from Latin spīritu(s) spirit + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

Spiritual things are concerned with sacred matters or religion, affecting the spirit or the soul. Spiritual entities like ghosts lack a material body or substance. Spiritual is the adjective form of the word spirit, which comes from the Latin word for "breath," and means the thing that animates life. Spiritual can be used to talk about anything that goes beyond mere physical existence, from ghost spirits to religious feelings. As a noun, spiritual describes a religious song originating in the African-American culture of the American South.

Example Sentences

It added that the Pope's visit should remain "spiritual" and "pastoral" in nature, and warned against any politicisation of the event.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

He talks about Dean as this inspiration and visionary guy but he also just says, “I’m going to call B.S. on all the spiritual, mystical stuff.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

But I do think this particular controversy has tapped into something deeper, purging a spiritual angst that has long surrounded liberal culture.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

But exercise bored Folan—until she read about yoga and was enticed by its spiritual dimension: the potential to tone one’s inner life, too.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

I don’t know what Grandma told her old friends, but for weeks after that they’d all ask sweetly about my health, both physical and spiritual.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

• divine
• metaphysical
• sacred