spiritual

[ spir-i-choo-uh l ]

/ ˈspɪr ɪ tʃu əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spiritual ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

of or relating to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature: a spiritual approach to life.

closely akin in interests, attitude, outlook, etc.: the professor's spiritual heir in linguistics.

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

characterized by or suggesting predominance of the spirit; ethereal or delicately refined: She is more of a spiritual type than her rowdy brother.

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

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

of or belonging to the church; ecclesiastical: lords spiritual and temporal.

of or relating to the mind or intellect.

noun

a spiritual or religious song: authentic folk spirituals.

spirituals, affairs of the church.

a spiritual thing or matter.

RELATED WORDS

religiously, mystically, piously

Nearby words

spirits of ammonia, spirits of hartshorn, spirits of salt, spirits of turpentine, spirits of wine, spiritual, spiritual bouquet, spiritual incest, spiritualism, spiritualist, spirituality

Origin of spiritual

1275–1325; Middle English < Medieval Latin spīrituālis, equivalent to Latin spīritu- (stem of spīritus spirit) + -ālis -al¹

Related forms

spir·it·u·al·ly, adverbspir·it·u·al·ness, nounan·ti·spir·it·u·al, adjectivean·ti·spir·it·u·al·ly, adverb

non·spir·it·u·al, adjective, nounnon·spir·it·u·al·ly, adverbnon·spir·it·u·al·ness, nounpseu·do·spir·i·tu·al, adjectivepseu·do·spir·i·tu·al·ly, adverbqua·si-spir·it·u·al, adjectivequa·si-spir·it·u·al·ly, adverbsu·per·spir·it·u·al, adjectivesu·per·spir·it·u·al·ly, adverbun·spir·i·tu·al, adjectiveun·spir·i·tu·al·ly, adverb

Can be confused

spirited spiritual spiritualistic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spiritually

Musically and spiritually, Ravi had a huge influence on George throughout his entire life.
When Gary Wright Met George Harrison: Dream Weaver, John and Yoko, and More|Gary Wright|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hughes credits “going underground” for seven years with allowing her to get to a good place emotionally and spiritually.
Donna Rice: ‘My Heart Really Goes Out to Monica Lewinsky’|Keli Goff|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This tension between outcast and overlord is at the heart of our sweeping change into a tech-driven, spiritually infused economy.
Can Heritage Foundation Posterboy Bono Save the GOP?|James Poulos|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How can Justin turn it around - practically, emotionally and spiritually?
Justin Bieber's Spiritual Crisis|Joshua DuBois|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And yet, my first encounter with a Jesuit institution proved to be the most spiritually influential of my life.
Hope and Change in the Vatican|Jon Favreau|January 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A wide field still remains, thinly peopled and spiritually uncultivated.
The Life and Labours of the Rev. Samuel Marsden|Samuel Marsden
Lady Belgrade chattered, because she was spiritually a magpie.
The Lost Lady of Lone|E.D.E.N. Southworth
He is the Life, and no one spiritually lives except through His self-impartation.
Our Lady Saint Mary|J. G. H. Barry
Hundreds and thousands have already been saved, temporally and spiritually, who otherwise must have perished.
Cotton is King and The Pro-Slavery Arguments|Various
These spiritual things, which can only be spiritually discerned, were--say some--mere metaphors!
The Worlds Greatest Books, Volume XIII.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for spiritually

spiritual

/ (ˈspɪrɪtjʊəl) /

adjective

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

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

standing in a relationship based on communication between the souls or minds of the persons involveda spiritual father

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

noun

See Negro spiritual

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

the spiritual the realm of spirits

Derived Forms

spiritually, adverbspiritualness, noun

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

spiritual

adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of spiritual

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for spiritually

British Dictionary definitions for spiritually

spiritual

adjective

noun

Derived Forms