spiritual

[spir-i-choo-uhl]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal.

2. of or relating to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature.

   a spiritual approach to life.

3. closely akin in interests, attitude, outlook, etc..

   the professor's spiritual heir in linguistics.

4. of or relating to spirits or to spiritualists; supernatural or spiritualistic.

5. characterized by or suggesting predominance of the spirit; ethereal or delicately refined.

   She is more of a spiritual type than her rowdy brother.

6. of or relating to the spirit as the seat of the moral or religious nature.

7. of or relating to sacred things or matters; religious; devotional; sacred.

8. of or belonging to the church; ecclesiastical.

   lords spiritual and temporal.

9. of or relating to the mind or intellect.

noun

1. a spiritual or religious song, especially one composed by and for Black Americans during the period of legalized slavery in the United States.

   Spirituals like “Go Down, Moses” were sometimes used as signals on the Underground Railroad.

2. spirituals, affairs of the church.

3. a spiritual thing or matter.

spiritual

/ ˈspɪrɪtjʊəl /

adjective

1. relating to the spirit or soul and not to physical nature or matter; intangible

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of sacred things, the Church, religion, etc

3. standing in a relationship based on communication between the souls or minds of the persons involved

   a spiritual father

4. having a mind or emotions of a high and delicately refined quality

noun

1. See Negro spiritual

2. (often plural) the sphere of religious, spiritual, or ecclesiastical matters, or such matters in themselves

3. the realm of spirits

Other Word Forms

• spiritually adverb
• spiritualness noun
• antispiritual adjective
• antispiritually adverb
• nonspiritual adjective
• nonspiritually adverb
• nonspiritualness noun
• pseudospiritual adjective
• pseudospiritually adverb
• quasi-spiritual adjective
• quasi-spiritually adverb
• superspiritual adjective
• superspiritually adverb
• unspiritual adjective
• unspiritually adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of spiritual¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Medieval Latin spīrituālis, from Latin spīritu(s) spirit + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

When African Americans migrated west, L.A. was wide open, a physical and spiritual landscape with space to build the social order anew.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At her husband’s funeral last month, she demonstrated preternatural poise addressing a stadium-sized crowd, extolling a traditional view of marriage in which he was the family’s spiritual leader while she maintained the home.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The primary instrument is tack piano, which evokes a dusty street in an old western, and she sings of a spiritual connection forged by song.

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Mr. Sharabi is a man of adamant moral and spiritual strength.

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The Bible refers to Jesus as the “King of Kings,” underscoring his spiritual authority.

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Related Words

• divine 
• metaphysical 
• sacred