definitions

corporal

1
[ kawr-per-uhl, -pruhl ]
/ ˈkɔr pər əl, -prəl /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR corporal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of the human body; bodily; physical: corporal suffering.
Zoology. of the body proper, as distinguished from the head and limbs.
personal: corporal possession.
Obsolete. corporeal; belonging to the material world.

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RELATED WORDS

objective, gross, material, human, anatomical, carnal, corporeal, fleshly, fleshy, phenomenal, sensible, substantial, tangible, somatic

Nearby words

corp., corpl., corpn., corpocracy, corpora, corporal, corporal of horse, corporal punishment, corporal's guard, corporate, corporate anorexia

Origin of corporal

1
1350–1400; Middle English corporall (< Anglo-French) < Latin corporālis bodily, equivalent to corpor- (stem of corpus corpus) + -ālis -al1

Related forms

cor·po·ral·i·ty, nouncor·po·ral·ly, adverb

Definition for corporal (2 of 3)

corporal

2
[ kawr-per-uh l, -pruh l ]
/ ˈkɔr pər əl, -prəl /

noun

Military.
  1. a noncommissioned officer ranking above a private first class in the U.S. Army or lance corporal in the Marines and below a sergeant.
  2. a similar rank in the armed services of other countries.
(initial capital letter) a U.S. surface-to-surface, single-stage ballistic missile.

Origin of corporal

2
1570–80; < Middle French, variant of caporal (influenced by corporal corporal1) < Italian caporale, apparently contraction of phrase capo corporale corporal head, i.e., head of a body (of soldiers). See caput

Related forms

cor·po·ral·cy, cor·po·ral·ship, noun

Definition for corporal (3 of 3)

corporal

3
[ kawr-per-uh l, -pruh l ]
/ ˈkɔr pər əl, -prəl /

noun Ecclesiastical.

a fine cloth, usually of linen, on which the consecrated elements are placed or with which they are covered.

Origin of corporal

3
1350–1400; Middle English corporalle < Medieval Latin corporale (pallium) eucharistic (altar cloth); replacing earlier corporas < Old French < Latin, as above
Also called communion cloth.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for corporal

British Dictionary definitions for corporal (1 of 3)

corporal

1
/ (ˈkɔːpərəl, -prəl) /

adjective

of or relating to the body; bodily
an obsolete word for corporeal

Derived Forms

corporality, nouncorporally, adverb

Word Origin for corporal

C14: from Latin corporālis of the body, from corpus body

British Dictionary definitions for corporal (2 of 3)

corporal

2
/ (ˈkɔːpərəl, -prəl) /

noun

a noncommissioned officer junior to a sergeant in the army, air force, or marines
(in the Royal Navy) a petty officer who assists the master-at-arms

Derived Forms

corporalship, noun

Word Origin for corporal

C16: from Old French, via Italian, from Latin caput head; perhaps also influenced in Old French by corps body (of men)

British Dictionary definitions for corporal (3 of 3)

corporal

3

corporale (ˌkɔːpəˈreɪlɪ)

/ (ˈkɔːpərəl, -prəl) /

noun

a white linen cloth on which the bread and wine are placed during the Eucharist

Word Origin for corporal

C14: from Medieval Latin corporāle pallium eucharistic altar cloth, from Latin corporālis belonging to the body, from corpus body (of Christ)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012