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 spiritual
   the realm of spirits

Derived Forms

• ˈspiritually, adverb
• ˈspiritualness, noun

Other Words From

• spir·it·u·al·ly adverb
• spir·it·u·al·ness noun
• an·ti·spir·it·u·al adjective
• an·ti·spir·it·u·al·ly adverb
• non·spir·it·u·al adjective noun
• non·spir·it·u·al·ly adverb
• non·spir·it·u·al·ness noun
• pseu·do·spir·i·tu·al adjective
• pseu·do·spir·i·tu·al·ly adverb
• qua·si-spir·it·u·al adjective
• qua·si-spir·it·u·al·ly adverb
• su·per·spir·it·u·al adjective
• su·per·spir·it·u·al·ly adverb
• un·spir·i·tu·al adjective
• un·spir·i·tu·al·ly 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

With “Beyond,” a big belter in the “Let It Go” tradition and something of a spiritual successor to the first film’s “How Far I’ll Go,” Moana faces something new: “A call straight from her ancestors looking toward the future instead of trying to discover the past,” Barlow says.

From Los Angeles Times

“There’s something about the way she carries herself. When she takes on a project, she goes deep, deep, deep. For something like this, you want someone who can use the formal aesthetic aspects to get at the spiritual, intellectual and emotional aspects of what it’s like to be Claressa Shields.”

From Los Angeles Times

And the Pit River Nation is requesting designation for roughly 200,000 acres of their ancestral territory and spiritual sites in Sáttítla, or the Medicine Lake Highlands, which encompasses striking volcanic formations in Northern California.

From Los Angeles Times

The geologically unique area is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc tribes and serves as habitat for protected species, including the bald eagle and northern spotted owl.

From Los Angeles Times

In a speech to Trump supporters in Georgia last month, Kirk said that “the Democrat Party supports everything that God hates” and that “there is a spiritual battle happening around all of us.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• divine
• metaphysical
• sacred