carnal
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual.
carnal pleasures.
- Synonyms:
- concupiscent, libidinous, lascivious, lecherous, lustful, bodily
-
not spiritual; merely human; temporal; worldly.
a man of secular, rather carnal, leanings.
adjective
Synonym Usage
Carnal, sensual, fleshly, animal all refer to bodily rather than rational or spiritual aspects of humans. Carnal, although it may refer to the body as opposed to the spirit, often refers to sexual needs or urges: carnal cravings, attractions, satisfactions. Sensual implies a suggestion of eroticism: sensual eyes; a sensual dance; it may also refer to experience of the senses: a sensual delight. Fleshly may refer to any physical need or appetite, sex as well as hunger and thirst: the fleshly sin of gluttony; fleshly yearnings. Animal refers to sexual appetites in a censorious way only; it may also describe pleasing or admirable physical characteristics or appearance: animal lust; to move with animal grace.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of carnal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin carnālis, equivalent to carn- (stem of carō ) “flesh” + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
Carnal is an adjective meaning "of the flesh." This makes carnal relations a subject that kids want to know more about, but one that both kids and parents may be embarrassed to talk about with each other. Carnal can be used to refer literally to flesh: after lions are done feasting on a downed zebra, vultures might pick over its carnal remains. Another use for carnal is to describe something that is worldly (as opposed to spiritual) — "He didn't have much use for religion, preferring to spend his time on more carnal pursuits."
Vocabulary lists containing carnal
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards
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Body Language: Carn ("Flesh")
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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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.
Samples of beef jerky from Carnal, a local restaurant, enticed me to buy both regular and spicy versions to take home.
From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2022
After gutting the building, located on State Street in downtown Bellingham, Carnal opened on Aug. 28, 2020.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2022
“I’m very lucky that I don’t have a lot of kids who are disruptive,” said Shannon Carnal, communication arts teacher.
From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2017
Along the way, he directed such films as 1970's "Catch-22," 1971's "Carnal Knowledge," 1983's "Silkwood" and 1988's "Working Girl," plus the Emmy Award-winning 2003 HBO miniseries "Angels in America."
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2016
"The Italian doctor is away in the woods gathering simples, and they found my Lord Carnal in a fit among the graves, half an hour agone."
From To Have and to Hold by Johnston, Mary
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.
