spirituality
Americannoun
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spiritualities
plural
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the quality or fact of being spiritual.
Life in modern society is all work and no spirituality.
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incorporeal or immaterial nature.
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predominantly spiritual character as shown in thought, life, etc.; spiritual tendency or tone.
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Often spiritualities. property or revenue of the church or of an ecclesiastic in their official capacity.
noun
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the state or quality of being dedicated to God, religion, or spiritual things or values, esp as contrasted with material or temporal ones
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the condition or quality of being spiritual
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a distinctive approach to religion or prayer
the spirituality of the desert Fathers
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(often plural) Church property or revenue or a Church benefice
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of spirituality
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English from Medieval Latin spīrituālitās; see spiritual, -ity
Explanation
Spirituality has to do with the spirit, not as in ghosts, but as in the essence of being human — your soul or your inner life. Spirituality often has to do with religion, but it doesn't have to. You might say, "I'm not religious; but I have a strong sense of spirituality," which might mean that you practice yoga or meditation, or you pray with a group, or you nurture your spirit by spending time in nature. Religions usually have defined beliefs, rituals, and guidelines; spirituality is more individual.
Vocabulary lists containing spirituality
Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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Eid Al-Fitr
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All Saints' Day
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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.
See Examples For:
"One is centered on the land, life, spirituality, and worldview," he said, while the other "sees the land as a business opportunity."
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
"Indeed Fr Doyle's spirituality, and example, resonate very much with that of the spirituality of Gen Z," he added.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
That title is something of a metaphor, about connecting to a deep, abiding spirituality accessible to us all.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
Rosales believes that artists are tapped into spirituality, and whether she’s using a camera, phone or auto parts, she captures energy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
She still practices her own version of spirituality, which she cobbled together from too many Deepak Chopra-esque books and TV shows.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
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In each, Ms. Khatwa, an earth scientist and television host, skillfully and respectfully balances scientific understanding with the spiritualities tied to the mythical stories of indigenous peoples.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
She also badly wanted something healing during the pandemic and always was drawn to spiritualities that were nature-based and women-centered.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 5, 2021
“Unlike in certain dogmatic religions where there’s a right and wrong way to be a practitioner, there isn’t that in these nondenominational spiritualities, which I think is so beautiful,” Garza said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2019
An admirable antidote for such as, too sober and sincere to pass off feverous sensations for spiritualities, have been perplexed by Wesley's assertions—that a certainty of having been elected is an indispensable mark of election.
From Coleridge's Literary Remains, Volume 4. by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
In this way both temporalities and spiritualities are won back.
From Letters of Catherine Benincasa by Saint of Siena Catherine
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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.