carnality
Americannoun
-
preoccupation with, or indulgence in, the flesh or the body and its passions and appetites; sensuality.
Giving in to the lures of carnality—whether that means porn or real-life promiscuity—is damaging to everyone concerned.
-
the quality or state of being merely temporal or worldly; lack of spiritual vitality or maturity.
Complaints about salary, jealousy, ambition for a reputation, and other forms of carnality show how little we ministers are separated from the world.
Etymology
Origin of carnality
First recorded in 1400–1450; carnal ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )
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.
His songs married carnality and spirituality, with an echo of the little boy singing in the gospel choir of his father’s church.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
At the same time, a Roman Catholic religiosity, fusing spirituality with carnality, permeates much of his work.
From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2021
Purcell’s stripped-down staging rarely visualizes Rivera’s depiction of a disintegrating city, redirecting focus to the dialogue’s poetic carnality, with everyone constantly worrying whether they’ll eat or be eaten.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 17, 2021
In O’Connor’s fictional world, carnality, when it comes up at all, is brutal and hilariously symbolic.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 22, 2001
The error of carnality 131:6 When once destroyed by divine Science, the false evi- dence before the corporeal senses disappears.
From Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
