soul
Americannoun
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the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.
- Synonyms:
- spirit
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the spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come.
arguing the immortality of the soul.
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the disembodied spirit of a deceased person.
He feared the soul of the deceased would haunt him.
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the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.
- Synonyms:
- heart
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a human being; person.
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high-mindedness; noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage, etc.
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the animating principle; the essential element or part of something.
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the inspirer or moving spirit of some action, movement, etc.
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the embodiment of some quality.
He was the very soul of tact.
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(initial capital letter) God; the divine source of all identity and individuality.
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shared ethnic awareness and pride among Black people, especially Black Americans.
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deeply felt emotion, as conveyed or expressed by a performer or artist.
adjective
noun
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the spirit or immaterial part of man, the seat of human personality, intellect, will, and emotions, regarded as an entity that survives the body after death
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Christianity the spiritual part of a person, capable of redemption from the power of sin through divine grace
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the essential part or fundamental nature of anything
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a person's feelings or moral nature as distinct from other faculties
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Also called: soul music. a type of Black music resulting from the addition of jazz, gospel, and pop elements to the urban blues style
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( as modifier )
a soul singer
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(modifier) of or relating to Black Americans and their culture
soul brother
soul food
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nobility of spirit or temperament
a man of great soul and courage
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an inspiring spirit or leading figure, as of a cause or movement
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a person regarded as typifying some characteristic or quality
the soul of discretion
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a person; individual
an honest soul
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See life
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an exclamation of surprise
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- soul-like adjective
- soullike adjective
- undersoul noun
Etymology
Origin of soul
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sāwl, sāwol; cognate with Dutch ziel, German Seele, Old Norse sāl, Gothic saiwala
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Throughout his medical records, I can see glimpses of who my dad is, who he’s always been—a complex soul who can be both affable and combative, cooperative and recalcitrant, depending on his mood.
From Salon
I Run by British dance act Haven went viral on TiKTok in October thanks, in part, to smooth soul vocals by an uncredited female singer.
From BBC
But also perhaps his weakness — a weakness for which many lesser writers would no doubt sell their souls.
From Los Angeles Times
He came and said, 'Your grandmother has given you her soul.'
From BBC
“Hamnet” is not a movie that seeks to bore into the viewers’ hearts, drawing out empathy from the depths of their souls; it’s a film that wants the audience to do all of the work.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
