carnality

[ kahr-nal-i-tee ]

noun

1. preoccupation with, or indulgence in, the flesh or the body and its passions and appetites; sensuality:

   Giving in to the lures of carnality—whether that means porn or real-life promiscuity—is damaging to everyone concerned.

2. the quality or state of being merely temporal or worldly; lack of spiritual vitality or maturity:

   Complaints about salary, jealousy, ambition for a reputation, and other forms of carnality show how little we ministers are separated from the world.

Word History and Origins

Origin of carnality¹

First recorded in 1400–1450; carnal ( def ) + -ity ( def )

Example Sentences

Along with other sexual pilgrims of the New York underground scene, they come together at Shortbus, a weekly “salon” dedicated to art, music, politics, and polysexual carnality.

From Washington Blade

This was my carnal cry for the real men to step up and help.

From ProPublica

What could have been yet another instance of cheap cable carnality—the irresistible male antihero!

From The Daily Beast

I remember being shocked not by the explicit carnality but by the confusion and hanky-panky, and the unhappiness.

From The Daily Beast

It illustrates what has been well described as "the carnality of religious contention."

From Project Gutenberg

Superstition, the offspring of ignorance and craft, may occasionally symbolize it into carnality.

From Project Gutenberg

Dorothy's pride lay in giving an heir to a great family, not in adding another piece of carnality to the human race.

From Project Gutenberg

As soon as he comes in the way of temptation, the unsubdued carnality of his soul asserts its life and power.

From Project Gutenberg

To his sins of carnality was added the shame of traffic with females hostile to the true God.

From Project Gutenberg