the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.
the spiritual part of humans regarded in its moral aspect, or as believed to survive death and be subject to happiness or misery in a life to come.
arguing the immortality of the soul.
the disembodied spirit of a deceased person.
He feared the soul of the deceased would haunt him.
the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.
a human being; person.
high-mindedness; noble warmth of feeling, spirit or courage, etc.
the animating principle; the essential element or part of something.
the inspirer or moving spirit of some action, movement, etc.
the embodiment of some quality.
He was the very soul of tact.
(initial capital letter) God; the divine source of all identity and individuality.
shared ethnic awareness and pride among Black people, especially Black Americans.
deeply felt emotion, as conveyed or expressed by a performer or artist.
the spirit or immaterial part of man, the seat of human personality, intellect, will, and emotions, regarded as an entity that survives the body after death
Christianity the spiritual part of a person, capable of redemption from the power of sin through divine grace
the essential part or fundamental nature of anything
a person's feelings or moral nature as distinct from other faculties
Also called: soul music. a type of Black music resulting from the addition of jazz, gospel, and pop elements to the urban blues style
( as modifier )
a soul singer
(modifier) of or relating to Black Americans and their culture
soul brother
soul food
nobility of spirit or temperament
a man of great soul and courage
an inspiring spirit or leading figure, as of a cause or movement
a person regarded as typifying some characteristic or quality
the soul of discretion
a person; individual
an honest soul
See life
an exclamation of surprise
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English sāwl, sāwol; cognate with Dutch ziel, German Seele, Old Norse sāl, Gothic saiwala
The noun soul can mean an individual human being, but it can also mean essence of a human being. If you believe the soul is immortal, you believe that even when your physical body dies, some other part of you lives on. Soul shows up in various forms in all Nordic and Germanic languages, but no one knows where it originated, just like the whole idea of the soul. Philosophers and theologians have debated the exact definition of soul for ages, but it always stands for that ineffable part of a human unlimited by the body, the grandest, deepest part. Soul music is a popular form of gospel, and if you "have soul," you really feel what it is to be alive.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Movies about filmmaking tend to be either reverent or cynical, but Mr. Farrelly has fashioned an impeccable combination of lightness and soul.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
“The Latino community is the soul of an entire continent,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
"When we go fishing, we literally switch off. Whether we're there for one night or five nights, it's good for your mental health and your soul."
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
"I still struggle to speak. And the pain isn't just physical. There is pain in my mind and in my soul."
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
“A wandering soul came to Deadwood two nights ago. I’ve tried to usher her into every realm in the Afterlife, but she won’t leave.”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
It’s two parts Prince, one part Soul Train.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
At the Soul Train Music Awards in May 1996, Wright said, Knight and Shakur were in a Hummer when Shakur got into a confrontation with rapper Christopher Wallace, a.k.a.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
At the time, I was really taken with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, and I wanted to make electronic music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
They were due to return in 2020, before Covid forced them to cancel the massive Map of the Soul tour.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
It told him stories it had heard from the Soul of the World, stories of men who sought to find their treasure and never succeeded.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
Under Spanish colonial rule in the 16th century, Zana -- home to around 4,000 souls -- was a wealthy center of commerce dotted with grandiose churches.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
"We pray that the martyrs' souls rest in peace and wish the injured a speedy recovery. May God protect and watch over Jordan and its people."
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
To prevent this, he says, we must “block the arsonists on both sides at a distance: those who set fire to people’s souls, the incendiaries of the mind.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Where Waititi once brought an authentic ache to his bittersweet sagas of wayward souls, he’s resorted to sledgehammer mawkishness that’s meant to be offset by his droll humor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
‘I swear, by my blood on this blade, and by each of my three souls that I will find the Mountain of the World Spirit. Or die trying.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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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.
