corporal

¹

[ kawr-per-uhl, -pruhl ]

adjective

1. of the human body; bodily; physical:

   corporal suffering.

   Synonyms: material

2. Zoology. of the body proper, as distinguished from the head and limbs.
3. personal:

   corporal possession.

4. Obsolete. corporeal; belonging to the material world.

corporal

²

[ kawr-per-uhl, -pruhl ]

noun

, Military.

1. 1. a noncommissioned officer ranking above a private first class in the U.S. Army or lance corporal in the Marines and below a sergeant.
   2. a similar rank in the armed services of other countries.
2. Corporal, a U.S. surface-to-surface, single-stage ballistic missile.

corporal

³

[ kawr-per-uhl, -pruhl ]

noun

, Ecclesiastical.

1. a fine cloth, usually of linen, on which the consecrated elements in the Eucharist are placed or with which they are covered.

corporal

¹

/ -prəl; ˈkɔːpərəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the body; bodily
2. an obsolete word for corporeal

corporal

²

/ -prəl; ˌkɔːpəˈreɪlɪ; ˈkɔːpərəl /

noun

1. a white linen cloth on which the bread and wine are placed during the Eucharist

corporal

³

/ ˈkɔːpərəl; -prəl /

noun

1. a noncommissioned officer junior to a sergeant in the army, air force, or marines
2. (in the Royal Navy) a petty officer who assists the master-at-arms

Derived Forms

• ˌcorpoˈrality, noun
• ˈcorporally, adverb
• ˈcorporalˌship, noun

Other Words From

• corpo·rali·ty noun
• corpo·ral·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of corporal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English corporal, corporel, from Old French corporal and Latin corporālem, from corporālis “bodily, physical,” equivalent to corpor- (stem of corpus “body” (alive or dead) + -ālis adjective ending; -al ¹

Origin of corporal²

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French corporal, variant of cap(p)oral (influenced by adjective corporal “bodily”), from Italian caporale, apparently a contraction of the phrase capo corporale “corporal head, bodily head” that is, head of a body (of soldiers); See caput, corporal ¹

Origin of corporal³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English corporal(le), from Medieval Latin corporālis (palla), corporāle (pallium) “eucharistic (altar cloth)”; replacing earlier corporas, corporaus, from Old French corporaus, corporals, from Latin corporālis (palla), as above; pall ¹( def ), pallium

Word History and Origins

Origin of corporal¹

C14: from Latin corporālis of the body, from corpus body

Origin of corporal²

C14: from Medieval Latin corporāle pallium eucharistic altar cloth, from Latin corporālis belonging to the body, from corpus body (of Christ)

Origin of corporal³

C16: from Old French, via Italian, from Latin caput head; perhaps also influenced in Old French by corps body (of men)

Synonym Study

See physical.

Example Sentences

For many boarding school students, corporal punishment was regarded as "normal", former Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olonga, who was attending the camp the night Guide died, said in his 2015 autobiography.

From BBC

The review, commissioned a year after Smyth's death by the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, found that an argument had been made that the abuses were "examples of over-enthusiastic corporal punishment".

From BBC

Other accusations include Essex Coroner's Court "interfering with the dead" and warning Mr Brookes he would be subjected to corporal punishment.

From BBC

Posting on X last week, Dame Rachel said a ban on any kind of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, could stop lower-level violence from escalating.

From BBC

Dame Rachel said a ban on any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping, and shaking, could stop lower level violence from escalating.

From BBC

More About Corporal

What does corporal mean?

Corporal means physical, or relating to the physical body.

Sometimes, corporal is about the body specifically- like corporal suffering, or bodily pain. Other times, corporal simply refers to something you are able to touch, like a corporal, or tangible, possession.

While it is frowned upon now, many schools in the United States used to use hitting, spanking, or other forms of corporal punishment to discipline students.

Where does corporal come from?

The first records of corporal come from around 1350. It comes from the Latin corporalis, meaning “bodily.”

There are a few specialized applications of corporal as well. A communion cloth, or the fine linen cloth which Catholic priests place consecrated holy objects on top of or underneath, is sometimes called a corporal. And a corporal is also a name for a military rank– in the U.S., it’s above a private and below a sergeant.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to corporal?

• corpus (noun)
• corporeal (adjective)

What are some synonyms for corporal?

• material
• tangible
• physical

What are some words that share a root or word element with corporal?

• corporate
• corpocracy
• corporation
• corps

What are some words that often get used in discussing corporal?

• body
• suffering
• punishment
• universe

What are some words corporal may be commonly confused with?

• corporeal
• corporate
• torpor

How is corporal used in real life?

People might use corporal to refer to officers, physical punishment, or other things they can touch. Sometimes corporal is used in a religious sense, where corporal things are a part of this life or our time on Earth, and otherworldly or saintly things are to come.

Back in the days of corporal punishment, right on the knuckles or elbow. I always took it on the knuckles and the effects are obviously still visible. pic.twitter.com/C5CGIq9RL7

— Dennis (@Dennis92070975) January 23, 2021

Corporal Dailey read to us today for #literacyweek and we wrote poems for our pockets! #whywadsworth #wegrow #whywadsworth @FlaglerSheriff pic.twitter.com/7ThI4o8tos

— Joanna Hughes (@KinderTeachWES) January 27, 2021

There were some instructions with regard to not looking at the lasers but I am so beyond the corporal world now it hardly matters

— Claire (@just_claire_now) January 23, 2021

 

 

Try using corporal!

Which of the following is not corporal?

A. The brain
B. The body
C. The soul
D. The heart