bodily
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the body.
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corporeal or material, as contrasted with spiritual or mental.
adverb
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as a physical entity; as a complete physical unit.
The tornado picked him up bodily and threw him against the wall.
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in person.
You have to appear bodily at the box office in order to have your reservation confirmed.
adjective
adverb
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by taking hold of the body
he threw him bodily from the platform
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in person; in the flesh
Related Words
See physical.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bodily
First recorded in 1250–1300, bodily is from the Middle English word bodylich. See body, -ly
Explanation
The adjective bodily describes something that has to do with your physical self. Bodily functions include things that happen both inside your body, like digestion and breathing, and outside your body, like walking. If your new kitten scratches your arms, you might say that Mr. Whiskers has caused you bodily harm. In religion, bodily is sometimes used in contrast to "spiritual." As an adverb, this word can be used to mean "in a way that involves someone's body." Your little brother might sleep so soundly that when he falls asleep in the car, you have to carry him bodily into the house.
Vocabulary lists containing bodily
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.
At minimum, markets on mortality and bodily harm should be off-limits.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Amaaz and Amaad, of Rochdale, deny assaulting PC Marsden, causing actual bodily harm.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
He repeated the tests many times, altering the phrases to include words drawn from categories such as bodily references, film noir-style atmosphere and technical jargon.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Previous research has detected microplastics in nearly every organ, as well as in bodily fluids and even the placenta.
From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026
“There are bathrooms on this car for a reason. We can’t expect all of them to stop having bodily functions, can we?”
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
