corpus

American  

[kawr-puhs] / ˈkɔr pəs /

noun

corpora, plural corpuses plural

1. a large or complete collection of writings.

   the entire corpus of Old English poetry.

2. the body of a person or animal, especially when dead.

3. Anatomy. a body, mass, or part having a special character or function.

4. Linguistics. a body of utterances, as words or sentences, assumed to be representative of and used for lexical, grammatical, or other linguistic analysis.

5. a principal or capital sum, as opposed to interest or income.

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corpus British  

/ ˈkɔːpəs /

noun

1. a collection or body of writings, esp by a single author or on a specific topic

   the corpus of Dickens' works

2. the main body, section, or substance of something

3. anatomy

   1. any distinct mass or body

   2. the main part of an organ or structure

4. the inner layer or layers of cells of the meristem at a shoot tip, which produces the vascular tissue and pith Compare tunica

5. linguistics a body of data, esp the finite collection of grammatical sentences of a language that a linguistic theory seeks to describe by means of an algorithm

6. a capital or principal sum, as contrasted with a derived income

7. obsolete a human or animal body, esp a dead one

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Usage

What does corpus mean? Corpus most commonly refers to a large or comprehensive collection of creative works, such as all of the writings of a particular author. An artist’s corpus is their body of work, and in fact the word corpus comes from the Latin word meaning “body.” (This Latin word appears in the well-known legal phrase habeas corpus, meaning “(you may) have the body.”)More generally, corpus is used in English to refer to the main body, section, or substance of something. The word is used in a more specific way in linguistics to refer to an entire set of a particular linguistic element within a language, such as words or sentences. It’s also used in several more specific ways in the context of anatomy in the names of body parts. The correct plural of corpus can be either corpora or corpuses. (Other Latin-derived words can be pluralized in the same way as corpora.)Example: Instead of devoting my dissertation to examining a specific theme throughout her corpus, I decided to focus on a single work.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• corpora
  plural
• corpuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of corpus

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English, from Latin

Explanation

A corpus is a collection of writings. If you tend to never throw anything away, you might have your entire school corpus, from your first scribbled words to your high school English essays. The written works of an author, or from one specific time period, can be called a corpus if they're gathered together into a collection or talked about as a group. You could discuss the corpus of Dr. Seuss, for example. Corpus sounds a little like corpse, and that's no coincidence; corpus means "body" in Latin, and though it's come to mean specifically "body of work," the two words are closely related.

Example Sentences

Corpus’ removal — and her fight against it, including unsuccessfully filing for a restraining order to stop the proceedings — has roiled her department and the community for nearly a year.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2025

As part of the removal proceedings, Corpus’ legal team asked that the removal hearing take place behind closed doors.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2025

When Corpus' Third, King's Third, and Saint Catharine's Fourth, the other tail-enders, got snarled in each other's oars, the coaches began firing pistol shots and Connie began to scream.

From Time Magazine Archive

A writ of 'Habeas Corpus' was obtained, and Stephen argued his case before Lord Mansfield.

From The Life of Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, Bart., K.C.S.I. A Judge of the High Court of Justice by Stephen, Leslie, Sir

By instinct, rather than conscious reasoning, Englishmen had felt their way to establishing the 'palladia of our liberties': trial by jury, the 'Habeas Corpus' Act, and the substitution of a militia for a standing army.

From The English Utilitarians, Volume I. by Stephen, Leslie, Sir